Various members of the Nickelodeon production crew have been accused of using their power to abuse child actors sexually, racially, and verbally on various TV shows such as iCarly, Zoey 101, Victorious, Drake & Josh, and Sam & Cat.
Former Nickelodeon child actor Drake Bell has spoken out about his molester, Brain Peck. During an episode of the Luminosity podcast, Bell opened up in fear that other child actors may be facing his similar ghastly situation. Bell states, “Are there other kids that he’s working with that this is happening to, and they’re just in the same position as me and aren’t gonna say anything, and are scared and don’t want this to affect their family life, their home life, their professional life, their ability to move forward in this crazy business?”
According to the LAPD, Peck was arrested in 2019, sentenced to 16 months in prison, and was registered as a sex offender; however, his victims remained unnamed. Bell first came out with his story on a newly released documentary, Quiet on Set. This documentary highlights the abuse many former Nickelodeon stars have faced. In episode 3, Bell commented, “I woke up to him…I woke up, opened my eyes, and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock. I had no idea what to do or how to react,”
Jason Handy, Nickelodeon production assistant, was described as sociable and charismatic; however, very few knew of his corrupt mind. Handy was the perpetrator of an inappropriate situation with many young actors. An 11-year-old actor’s mother completely changed her opinion on this production assistant when she found out Handy was emailing her daughter explicit photos. Many victims spoke up which led to his arrest in 2003. During the police investigation, over 10,000 photos and 7 videos of children being portrayed in sexual ways were found. The investigation also led to the discovery of Handy’s personal diary which had many disturbing entries. Handy wrote, “I am a pedophile, full blown,” “I really have been giving into my desire for little girls these past few weeks,” and “I even struggle on a day-to-day basis of how I can find a victim to rape if I have to.”
When people think of the newly discovered Nickelodeon information, the name Dan Schneider comes to mind. Due to various social media posts, this information has gained a plethora of traction. Scheider is well known in the film industry from his popular shows iCarly, Drake & Josh, Sam & Cat, Victorious, and Zoey 101. Aside from his famous TV shows, Scheider is also known for his sexist and inappropriate behavior. During the filming of The Amanda Show, the only two female writers, Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen, faced sexism left and right. During the Quiet on Set documentary, Stratton comments, “It was early on when we first started when Dan said he didn’t think women were funny.” Kilgen alleges, “Dan was showing pornography on his computer screen. He asked me several times to massage him in the writers’ room and in the studio, and he would say things sometimes like ‘Kim, please give me a massage, I’ll put one of your sketches in the show.’ And he would always present it like a joke, and he would be laughing while he said it. But you always felt like disagreeing with Dan or standing up for yourself could result in you getting fired.” The two women were also asked to split a salary. Schneider’s spokesperson commented, “Dan is extremely sorry for his behavior that contributed to that environment, and he has grown a lot since then. That behavior is clearly wrong and not for the workplace, and certainly he would never act that way again.”
Along with exhibiting many sexist behaviors, Schneider was also very inappropriate on and off set. As producer, many hold him responsible for the underlying sexual tone throughout his various shows. Schneider would constantly incorporate sexual or unsettling scenes in his shows. For example, actors in iCarly were often showcasing their bare feet or wearing inappropriate outfits. Susie Metz (9) comments, “As a kid I guess I didn’t really notice anything weird, but as a I look back, I can really see how wrong some of the scenes were.” Coworkers would describe Schneider as emotionally abusive towards everyone on set. In an apology video, Schneider addresses some of these allegations. “I wish I could go back to the earlier years of my career and bring the growth and experience that I have now, and just do a better job,” said Schneider. English teacher Ms. Pressly comments, “It’s very disheartening to know that the shows I grew up on have a darker side.” Although he hasn’t been officially charged for these accusations, there is no denying Schneider created a toxic work environment that no child should have to deal with.
