Earlier this month, the documentary “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” was released in the US. In it, former “Drake and Josh” star Drake Bell came forward with allegations of sexual abuse that he says he suffered at the age of 15.
In the documentary, Bell, who appeared in several Nickelodeon shows in the 2000s, alleged that he was a victim of abuse at the hands of Brian Peck. Peck was a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon’s “All That” and “The Amanda Show.”
The program also featured allegations against former Nickelodeon executive producer Dan Schneider. Schneider left the network in 2018 following a ViacomCBS investigation that found he committed verbal abuse on set but no evidence of sexual misconduct.
He has since addressed the claims made in the documentary, admitting that he found it “very difficult” to watch as he confronted his “past behaviors — some of which are embarrassing and that I regret.”
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In response to the allegations, Thompson, known for his roles in “All That” and “Kenan & Kel” during the Nineties, shared his experiences working for the network.
During an appearance on the “Tamron Hall Show,” the 45-year-old actor emphasized the importance of further investigation to ensure children’s safety within the industry. Thompson expressed that hearing about the allegations from Bell and other Nickelodeon stars was challenging, given his own experiences on the show.
“It’s tough for me because I can’t really speak on things that I never witnessed, you know what I’m saying? Because all these things happened after I left,” he stated.
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Schneider, credited as a co-executive producer on every episode of “Kenan & Kel’s” first two seasons with credits on 11 episodes, is also the creator of “Drake & Josh.” Thompson also highlighted that Schneider’s involvement with “Kenan & Kel” wasn’t as prominent, mentioning, “Dan wasn’t really on Kenan & Kel like that.”
Additionally, he pointed out that Schneider wrote and produced multiple episodes of “All That” and was credited as a screenwriter and co-producer on “Good Burger,” the 1997 movie spinoff.
He explained: “I mean, he got a ‘created by’ credit, but it was a different showrunner, so our worlds weren’t really overly overlapping like that outside of All That, necessarily. And then all of that negativity kind of started happening outside of our tenure there, you know what I mean? So I wasn’t really aware of a lot of it.”
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The “Saturday Night Live” cast member expressed sympathy and support for the victims coming forward.
“My heart goes out to anybody that’s been victimized or their families,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing that the [documentary] is out, and it’s putting things on display, stories that need to be told for accountability’s sake.”
He added the unfolding of allegations was “tough to watch because I have fond memories of that place and I have fond memories of my costars and stuff like that”.
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