Dan Schneider, ex-Nickelodeon producer, shares apology video following release of new docuseries

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider posted an apology video online following the release of “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” a docuseries detailing allegations made against the former producer.

In a video posted to Schneider’s YouTube channel, the former producer said the docuseries was “embarrassing,” and that he owed some people “a pretty strong apology.”

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Schneider, who produced shows such as “Drake and Josh,” “iCarly,” and “The Amanda Show,” came under fire in 2022 following a report from Business Insider, which spoke with former cast, writers, and others who worked with Schneider during his days at the network.

Those interviewed in the docuseries, which further details the allegations made in the Business Insider article, alleged Schneider played favorites, put young actresses in overly sexually suggestive scenes, and made inappropriate comments to and about women on the crew, including an incident where he asked them to massage him.

“It was wrong that I ever put anybody in that position,” Schneider said when talking about the massages. “I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation.”

In a statement about the docuseries, a Nickelodeon spokesperson told NBC News; “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct. Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”

An email from a spokesperson for Schneider called him the “biggest champion” for child actors on these shows, according to NBC News.

“Dan has said himself that he was a tough boss to work for and, if he could do things over again, he would act differently,” a spokesperson for Schneider said. “But let’s be clear, when Dan departed Nickelodeon, a full investigation was done and again, all that was found is that he was a challenging, tough and demanding person to work for and with, nothing else.”

Schneider said any inappropriate jokes should be cut out of the shows he worked on but stood behind his previous statement saying the network approved the shows’ content and was ok with the inclusion of any potentially suggestive scenes that made it into aired episodes.

He also said an investigation happened prior to his leaving the network in 2018 that found no wrongdoing on his part, saying he was “challenging” and “tough,” and that he would “be nicer” if he could go back and do things differently.

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