Dan Schneider is taking the producers of Quiet on Set to court.
According to TMZ, the 58-year-old TV producer filed a defamation lawsuit against the docuseries' creators, which include Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Television, and others.
The doc, whose full title is Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, focuses on Schneider’s history with Nickelodeon, where he masterminded hit shows such as The Amanda Show, iCarly, Drake & Josh, and Victorious. The series spotlights alleged sexual abuse, inappropriate behavior, and an overall toxic environment behind the scenes of shows Schneider worked on.
Per TMZ, Schneider claims that the docuseries used manipulative editing techniques in the trailer and several episodes to falsely imply he sexually abused the child actors who worked on his shows. He argues that the series deliberately misrepresented his past and ignored evidence that contradicted the producers’ narrative.
For example, the trailer briefly includes a “True Crime Event” graphic which, according to the suit, implies the producer committed crimes against children.
Lawyers for Schneider apparently called Quiet on Set a “hit job” that lumped him together with two unspecified convicted child sex offenders who worked on some of the Nick shows, adding that the defendants were motivated by "clickbait, ratings, and views—or simply put, money."
"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,” said Schneider’s legal counsel in the suit.
On the other hand, Schneider acknowledges some of his past misconduct in his professional interactions, he vehemently denies any involvement in child sexual abuse.
"Recently the docuseries Quiet on Set highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon, most of which happened decades ago during my early career as a producer, working on shows for Tollin/Robbins Productions. “There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader. I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it," Schneider told TMZ.
He continued, “They went beyond reporting the truth and falsely implied that I was involved in or facilitated horrific crimes for which actual child predators have been prosecuted and convicted. I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators.”
Schneider is seeking unspecified damages for defamation, citing mental distress and financial losses caused by the portrayal in the docuseries.
