Dan Schneider has been widely accused of fostering a toxic work environment on the sets of his Nickelodeon shows. Numerous former child stars have spoken up against him, alleging that Schneider was verbally abusive, displayed favouritism towards specific actors, and engaged in inappropriate behaviour with young, budding actors. In fact, back in 2018, Nickelodeon had announced that the company and Schneider had gone their separate ways, but the reason behind it wasn’t revealed.
Now, an old video coming to light has taken the internet by storm. The video clip showcases Nickelodeon’s producer Dan Schneider, fully clothed, in a hot tub only inches away from a 16-year-old Amanda Bynes in a swimsuit. Notably, the producer is almost 20 years older than the star.
This incident appears to have been a part of the recurring sketch, ‘Amanda’s Jacuzzi,’ where the former Nickelodeon star would have surprise guests join her in the hot tub while she conducted interviews with them. Interestingly, Schneider is alleged to have written this particular skit himself, which many commentators have described to be as “very uncomfortable.”
The video footage follows the release of a documentary titled ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,’ which sheds light on the claims of a horrible working environment at Nickelodeon. The documentary alleges instances of child abuse and inappropriate behaviour on the sets of some of the production company’s shows.
What’s also to note is that Schneider did play favourites. Insiders have revealed that Amanda Bynes swiftly became one of his “new favourite,” particularly because of the fame and success ‘The Amanda Show’ garnered. This made the others feel marginalized and “edged out.”
Even the former ‘All That’ star Leon Frierson, shared some insights into their dynamic. “There would be times where Amanda would just be missing and a lot of times we would just hear that she would be with Dan - pitching ideas and writing,” as per Daily Mail. Frierson further stated, “We were seeing them grow closer to each other on set.”
In response to the allegations raised in the documentary, Schneider had previously issued a statement asserting his position. He stated, “Everything that happened on the shows I ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults. All stories, dialogue, costumes and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standard and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on every set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching us rehearse and film.”
Additionally, many had started to question the kind of relationship both of them shared because they would often be seen together.
