Dan Schneider Controversy: Producer Dan Schneider, who created some of Nickelodeon’s most popular children’s and young adult series before splitting under mysterious circumstances, has now addressed what occurred.
Schneider and Nickelodeon split in 2018. Nickelodeon was the highest-rated network on basic cable at the time, and Schneider was the most successful producer in children’s television, having created and produced blockbuster series such as iCarly, Drake & Josh, Victorious, Kenan & Kel, and Henry Danger. In his first significant interview since leaving Nickelodeon, he spoke to the New York Times and hinted at a possible return from exile.
Nickelodeon’s Parent Company
Dan Schneider Controversy: Nickelodeon’s parent company, ViacomCBS, investigated Schneider prior to the 2018 separation. According to the Times piece, Schneider’s employees lauded his attention to detail and work ethic, but many people he worked with considered him as verbally aggressive.
In the interview, Schneider defended his leadership approach. He also said that he did not leave Nickelodeon on bad terms, but rather as a result of an “exhausting” time that necessitated the delivery of up to 50 episodes of shows each year.
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“I took a sabbatical to take care of a lot of issues that I’d put off for decades,” Schneider explained. He’s shed over 100 pounds since leaving, and he still wants to do something. “Whatever I do next, I want it to be better than what I’ve done before.”
Dan Schneider Controversy: The interview also addressed a more contentious aspect of Schneider’s departure. Internet posts and videos recorded by internet users sparked concerns regarding his contacts with the kid performers on his shows. Certain pictures of bare feet in the concerts, as well as sexual innuendo in some of the jokes, were interpreted as indications of something worse.
Schneider told the New York Times that the postings were “crazy,” and that social media can “amplify any untruth.” He denied any sexualization of his young performers. “The comedy was really harmless,” he remarked. The ViacomCBS inquiry occurred during the height of the #MeToo movement’s development in 2018. According to the Times piece, the probe found no proof of Schneider’s sexual misbehavior.
The inquiry did uncover charges that he was verbally hostile to employees at times, including tantrums and furious emails. Those interviewed for the study, who were not identified by the Times, also mentioned his requests for shoulder and neck massages, as well as his practice of messaging young performers after hours.
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Schneider refused to comment on the specifics
Dan Schneider Controversy: Schneider refused to comment on the specifics of the ViacomCBS inquiry. “I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t have the long-term connections and continuous loyalty from so many good individuals if I mistreated my performers of any age, especially kids,” he admitted.
He went on to say that if some people found him tough, it was because he has “high standards.” “I’m prepared to defend artistic ideas in which I believe,” he stated. Schneider stated that she only connected with fans online “in very public ways,” and that “I never interacted with actors in any way, texting or otherwise, that should make anyone uncomfortable.”
The three-hour interview with Schneider took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Schneider hinted about a returning pilot that he has written and sold to another network, calling it “ambitious and extremely different.”
