Dan Schneider, who created some of Nickelodeon's most popular shows, is breaking his silence about a slew of allegations about toxic workplaces, most recently in the four-part Investigation Discovery special Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. T
Schneider expressed remorse over his "past behavior" in a video the television producer uploaded to YouTube.
"Watching over the past two nights was very difficult," he says in the video above. "Me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology."
Schneider was notably behind Nickelodeon hits like The Amanda Show, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, Sam & Cat, and others.
“It was wrong. It was wrong that I ever put anybody in that position," he said of accusations that he asked employees for massages. It was wrong to do. I’d never do it today. I’m embarrassed that I did it then. I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation.”
As for accusations of inappropriate jokes made in the writers' room, Schneider admitted that jokes he made sometimes went "too far," but pointed at being "immature" and "inexperienced" at the time.
“No writer should ever feel uncomfortable in any writers' room, ever. Period. No excuses," he continued. "Most TV writers, comedy writers have been in rooms, and they are aware that a lot of times there are inappropriate jokes made and inappropriate topics come up. But the fact that I participated in that, especially when I was leaving the room, embarrasses me. I shouldn’t have done it."
On his former employees who shared their stories in Quiet on Set, Schneider expressed that the pressure of writing and producing more than roughly 40 episodes yearly would manifest with destructive behavior. "I would let that pressure get to me, which a good boss should never ever do," he admitted.
"I would snap at people sometimes. I would be snarky when I could have given them a nicer answer. I would not give people the time that they needed, I would be in too big a hurry to get to the next thing I had to do," Schneider added. "And watching that show–there were so many times I wanted to pick up a phone and call one of those people and say, 'I'm so sorry and Let's talk about it. I wish you had a better time and I wish I could've shown you a better experience.'"
The chat also explored jokes made on some of the aforementioned programs, with many of them now being deemed inappropriate. While expressing that the jokes may have been fitting at the time they were aired, Schneider also welcomed them to be cut. "The last thing I ever want to do is put any content in a show that's going to upset my audience and make them want to turn off the TV," he said.
On the topic of Amanda Bynes, Schneider says he supported her during her 2002 emancipation from her parents. On Drake Bell, who discussed being sexually harassed by his Drake & Josh dialogue coach, Brian Peck, in Quiet on Set, Schneider maintained that he did not hire Peck but he did contact Bell about the traumatizing experience.
“When Drake and I talked and he told me about what happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far. And I told him, ‘I’m here for you,'” Schneider said.
When recounting Peck's trial, which saw him sentenced to 16 months in prison, Schneider broke down in tears while discussing Bell's mother.
“She came to me at the time, and she said, ’Dan, I’m not good with words like you are. And would you help me with my speech for the judge? I said, ‘of course.’ I did and [Peck] ended up going to prison and serving his time," Schneider said.
Schneider ended the interview by confessing that he would've "changed" how he treated his employees.
"When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes and it made me feel awful and regretful and sorry," he said. "I wish I could go back, especially to those earlier years of my career, and bring the growth and the experience that I have now and just do a better job and never, ever feel like it was okay to be an asshole to anyone, ever."
Nickelodeon parted ways with Schneider in 2018 after misconduct allegations surfaced. Schneider was also alluded to as "The Creator" in Jennette McCurdy's 2022 memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, where the former child actress claimed that she was exploited.
