Ahead of Quiet on Set's debut on Investigation Discovery, the docuseries seemed primed to shake up the industry in a big way, and it's since been labeled by some as a #MeToo moment for child actors. But others have been less positive about its impact, as well as the tactics employed by the creators. Nickelodeon's former go-to live-action creator Dan Schneider, who previously apologized in the aftermath of Quiet on Set's release, is suing the team behind the series for defamation.
Specifically, the lawsuit filed by Dan Schneider's lawyers names the defendants as Warner Brothers Discovery, Sony TV, Maxine Productions, and producers Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz. Schneider's years at Nickelodeon made up the bulk of Quiet on Set's subject matter, as it was inspired by viral supercut videos of moments from teen series he created — such as Ariana Grande's Sam & Cat and the star-producing sketch show All That — that were perceived to be perverse and/or harmful in nature. (The Amanda Show character Penelope Taynt was also an inspiration for the producers.)
The lawsuit points to the fact that while Schneider worked with multiple convicted sex offenders, with one of their victims revealed by Quiet on Set to be Drake Bell, that does not mean Schneider himself should be equated with them. As it says in the suit (via Variety):
Quiet on Set’s portrayal of Schneider is a hit job. While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that 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. But for the sake of clickbait, ratings, and views — or put differently, money — Defendants have destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that.
Dan Schneider shared a personal statement with Variety as well, which first addressed why he chose to release an apology statement at the time that he did, iterating that the incidents in question happened "decades ago." He then continued, saying:
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. However, after seeing Quiet on Set and its trailer, and the reactions to them, I sadly have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it. In their successful attempt to mislead viewers and increase ratings, 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.
Schneider went on to say he has "no objection" to those who want to call him out for being a bad boss, but says the problem here is that the docuseries misled "millions of people" to believe that he's a child predator himself. He ended by saying he owed it to himself and others to "set the record straight."
While this is the first lawsuit to be filed against Quiet on Set, the project has come under more scrutiny in the weeks after its release. Not only for the possibly exploitative ways the series enticed viewers through others' traumatic experiences, but also for allegedly duping certain interviewees like Raquel Lee Bolleau into thinking they were taking part in a different kind of series. Double Dare vet Marc Summers claimed he was ambushed, and that he walked out of the interview after the aforementioned videos were suddenly in his face, since he was led to believe he'd be speaking more positively about his history with Nickelodeon.
Quiet on Set is currently still available to stream with a Max subscription.
