Dan Schneider Has Responded To Allegations That He Initiated Phone Sex With "All That" Star Lori Beth Denberg When She Was A Teenager
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This story contains discussion of sexual misconduct.
You know Lori Beth Denberg from the Nickelodeon TV show All That, which ran from 1994 to 1998.
In a new interview with Business Insider, Lori Beth alleges that Dan Schneider — a head writer on All That across the show's four seasons — showed her pornography, initiated phone sex with her, and committed other acts of misconduct while she was a teenager.
Among other allegations, Lori Beth claims that, around her 19th birthday in 1995, Dan allegedly showed her clips of pornography on his office computer. “I feel like that is the first time he preyed on me,” she says.
Lori Beth also claims that her relationship with Dan turned sexual at that age, and alleges that he initiated phone sex with her in one instance. She describes her relationship with him as a "weird, abusive friendship" and says that she "couldn't have been more vulnerable" at the time.
In the interview, Lori Beth also details an alleged instance in which, during a dinner with cast and crew, Dan asked those in attendance if they thought her breasts were different sizes. She says she threw a piece of bread at him in response, which prompted him to allegedly scream at her.
“It was one of those turns that was just really upsetting and scary,” she says. “Everyone else seemed to completely blow it off.”
In a statement to Business Insider and Variety, Dan — whose alleged past behavior was one of many topics addressed in the recent docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV — referred to Lori Beth's allegations as “wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false.”
At the top of May, Dan also filed a defamation lawsuit against the Quiet on Set producers. “Quiet on Set’s portrayal of Schneider is a hit job,” the lawsuit reads. “Schneider will be the first to admit that some of what they said is true. At times, he was blind to the pain that some of his behaviors caused certain colleagues, subordinates, and cast members. He will regret and atone for this behavior the rest of his life. But one thing he is not — and the one thing that will forever mar his reputation and career both past and present — is a child sexual abuser.”
“As I have previously stated, there were times, particularly in the early years of my career, that I made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader,” Dan said in the statement.
“If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do.”
You can read the full interview with Lori Beth here.
Head here to read more about the allegations detailed in Quiet on Set.
