Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider is suing the people and companies behind “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” claiming that they defamed him by falsely implying he sexually abused the children he worked with. Schneider claims the docuseries, which aired in March, falsely portrayed him as a sexual abuser.
“Quiet on Set” expanded on the allegations of gender discrimination and a hostile work environment first reported by Business Insider in 2022. It included interviews with a wide array of people, including two female writers who spoke about the gender discrimination lawsuit they filed against the network. Actor Drake Bell, of the Nickelodeon hit “Drake & Josh,” also spoke for the first time about the sexual abuse he allegedly experienced at the hands of his former dialogue coach, Brian Peck, who was convicted of sexually abusing a minor in 2004.
The lawsuit that was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court describes the docuseries’ portrayal of Schneider as a “hit job.” It claims that Schneider didn’t know about it, and was not complicit in the sexual abuse alleged in the series, and that he had condemned the abuse after he learned of it. “And, critically, [Schneider] was not a child sexual abuser himself,” the complaint says. “But for the sake of clickbait, ratings, and views—or put differently, money—Defendants have destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that.”
The complaint claims the series refused to interview witnesses who did not fit its “false and defamatory narrative” and that “Quiet on Set” has been accused of being “dishonest or deceptive” about the purpose of its questions during witness interviews. It cited several online comments and posts as evidence that viewers interpreted the docuseries as revealing Schneider to be a sexual offender. As for this, Schneider said that he has lost “valuable deals” from major networks or platforms in the wake of “Quiet on Set” and that it is now “virtually impossible” for him to obtain opportunities. “Schneider’s reputation has been irreparably damaged as a result of Defendants’ defamatory statements,” the lawsuit says. “Schneider continues to endure emotional pain and suffering, and mental distress, as a result of Defendants’ defamatory statements, as well as financial and career damages.”
After the show aired, Schneider apologized for his behaviors that showcased “mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon.” Seeing “Quiet on Set” and the reactions it drew left him with “no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it”: “I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators,” Schneider wrote. “I owe it to myself, my family, and the many wonderful people involved in making these shows to set the record straight.”
