It comes as no surprise that the entertainment industry has a dark side, giving opportunities to those wanting to exploit and manipulate the young, naive and powerless. In recent years we have seen a wave of accusations against major industry figures and big stars – Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, and more recently, P. Diddy.
Child actors are especially vulnerable. In the past, stars from Drew Barrymore to Macaulay Culkin have expressed how difficult it can be to work as a child actor. Early exposure to an adult lifestyle, for one, put both of those actors on the path to drug and alcohol abuse.
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Bynes, now 38, has been in conservatorship, rehab and a psychiatric ward. In a now-deleted post on X, she revealed the dark side of the child entertainment industry, alleging her father had manipulated her, sexually and otherwise, though she subsequently apologised for these allegations.
Though Bynes reportedly turned down involvement in the docuseries, currently airing on three pay TV networks run by Warner Bros., several actors who grew up on Nickelodeon sets came forward to share their experiences and the alleged abuse they suffered under Schneider and others.
Drake Bell of Drake and Josh (2004-2007) was one, coming forward in the third episode of Quiet on Set to reveal he was involved in a lawsuit against voice coach Brian Peck for sexually assaulting him in 2004 when Bell was in his late teens.
The alleged abuse was not unique to The Amanda Show or Drake & Josh – former child actor Alexa Nikolas has also made claims about her time at Nickelodeon. The Zoey 101 (2005-2008) star appeared on Quiet on Set, calling on Schneider to take responsibility for the harm he caused.
Nikolas told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview after the show aired that Schneider kept Polaroid photos of her in various set costumes that consisted of inappropriately short miniskirts and shorts.
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Former Nickelodeon child stars have since come forward to share their experiences on set and support those who spoke out on Quiet on Set. Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck took to Instagram to condemn the horrid acts Bell fell victim to.
“I reached out to Drake privately, but wanted to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world,” Peck shared on Instagram.
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Other stars who’ve remained silent amid the scandal include Miranda Cosgrove, who played Megan Parker on Drake & Josh, and Grande’s Victorious co-star Elizabeth Gillies.