Dan Schneider, a well-known television producer, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the producers of the docuseries ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV’. He claims the series falsely portrayed him as a child sexual abuser, which he vehemently denies. The lawsuit targets Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Television among others, accusing them of using manipulative editing to imply his involvement in criminal activities with child actors from shows he created at Nickelodeon, such as “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” “iCarly,” and “Victorious.”
Schneider argues that the series placed him in the same category as convicted child sex offenders, purely for sensationalism to boost ratings and profits.
Schneider’s lawyers gave this statement to TMZ: “Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself.”
Schneider acknowledges past mistakes in his behavior towards colleagues and cast members but emphasizes that these were not related to any form of child abuse. Schneider expressed regret for his past leadership failures, noting some actions during his early career, but highlighted the distinction between poor management and criminal actions.
The lawsuit also points out that ‘Quiet on Set’ utilized specific editing choices and misleading statements to craft a narrative that Schneider was involved in child sex abuse, citing a particular instance where a “True Crime Event” graphic was juxtaposed with his career timeline in the series trailer.
Schneider is seeking unspecified damages for defamation, claiming the series caused him mental distress and financial losses. He says that he is determined to clear his name from these damaging allegations.