What Happened to Controversial Nickelodeon Creator Dan Schneider?
After multiple bombshell revelations from the docuseries Quiet on Set, which probes the abuse of child actors on Nickelodeon sets, viewers will be curious about where Dan Schneider is today.
Much of the documentary explores the allegations and backstories of convicted sex offenders Brian Peck and Jason Handy, who were both employed by Nickelodeon. Additionally, the docuseries explores the multiple celebrities and Nickelodeon executives who secretly supported and defended the abusers. However, not all of the allegations in the docuseries are against those convicted of crimes. Most notably, the documentary renewed scrutiny of Nickelodeon’s Dan Schneider.
What is Dan Schneider accused of?
Schneider was a major figure during the Golden Age of Nickelodeon, as he created numerous hit series, including Drake & Josh and iCarly. However, allegations of misconduct go all the way back to 2018, when rumors of an investigation into his conduct arose. In 2021, the New York Times confirmed that there had been an internal investigation after Schneider received complaints of verbal abuse and sexual misconduct. The investigation did uncover instances of Schneider’s volatile temper, although the complaints were ultimately dismissed.
Many additional allegations came from internet sleuths, who uncovered adult jokes and an apparent foot fetish in Schneider’s shows, as well as photos of Schneider with his arms or hands on minor actresses while they looked deeply uncomfortable. Since then, former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy also leveled allegations against him in her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. She detailed how she was offered “hush money” from Nickelodeon over her experiences and how Schneider, whom she referred to as The Creator, had pushed her to drink alcohol, given her unwanted massages, and photographed her in a swimsuit.
Now, Quiet on Set has delved further into Schneider’s reportedly inappropriate behavior at Nickelodeon. The most concerning allegations include how he often forced minors on set to participate in R-rated jokes or sexual innuendo, as well as harassed female writers.
Is Dan Schneider still working?
For years, Schneider has denied the allegations that he was inappropriate towards minor actors. He denied the allegations in 2021 when news of the investigation arose and again, recently, in response to Quiet on Set. While he did apologize for his behavior on set and suggested removing some of the offensive jokes from the shows, he denied sexualizing minors and pointed to how everything was explicitly approved by execs before going into the show. So, what did happen to Schneider?
Schneider is no longer employed by Nickelodeon and has not been for years. In 2018, the network abruptly announced it was cutting ties with him. Many speculated the dismissal was in response to the internal investigation or many allegations against him. However, he has claimed that he left the network on good terms and that it was his decision to depart after feeling run down from all the shows he created and wrote for. Meanwhile, he did appear to be planning a comeback in 2021.
Schneider revealed that he had been on a weight-loss journey during his three-year hiatus and addressed personal problems built up over his career. He also indicated that he was ready to return to work, claiming he had been working on a pilot for an adult show for a different network. However, in the three years since then, there have been no updates on his pilot.
The only mention or acknowledgment of Schneider in the TV industry is in the Henry Danger spinoff Danger Force and the iCarly reboot, which premiered in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Since these were extensions of shows/characters Schneider created, he was given a co-creator and creator credit but was otherwise not involved in the new series whatsoever. Besides his 2021 interview and response to Quiet on Set, Schneider has largely remained out of the spotlight and rarely posts on social media.
The difficulty with Schneider’s controversy is that most of the allegations against him have not been proven since no official charges were filed, and not much came of the internal investigation. However, the allegations from numerous colleagues and former stars have also not been disproven. Schneider may not face legal action for the allegations against him, but some viewers may be relieved to know that there’s no sign he will return to the children’s TV industry.
(featured image: Charley Gallay/Getty)
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