Dan Schneider claims the producers of the docuseries “Quiet on Set” defamed him and purposefully edited the show to paint him as a child sex offender, according to a new lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Lawyers representing Schneider called the documentary a “hit job” and allege that producers wanted to lump him in with two convicted child sexual abusers who worked at Nickelodeon for “clickbait, ratings, and views — or simply put, money,” according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.
“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’s lawsuit states.
“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.”
The defamation case takes aim at the creators of the docuseries, including Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony Pictures Television, and is asking for unspecified damages, claiming Schneider has suffered mentally and financially from the impact of the documentary.
The 58-year-old producer and screenwriter is credited with creating multiple hit shows at Nickelodeon, including “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” “iCarly” and “Victorious.”
In “Quiet On Set,” former employees at Nickelodeon describe abusive and inappropriate behavior they experienced while working for Schneider. While the former producer admitted to some of those mistakes more broadly, he wants it to be acknowledged that he did not commit any crimes against children.
“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,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
His lawsuit adds that he was not aware of any child abuse happening in connection to his shows, and “condemned the abuse once it was discovered.”
Specifically, Schneider takes issue with the trailer for the docuseries and several episodes, which he claims used manipulative editing to make it appear that he had sexually abused children on his shows.
