“Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims.”
For years, Nickelodeon served as the premiere children’s television network, serving up fun, wild and wacky shows for kids and teens. But behind the scenes, there were allegedly more sinister things going on. With the recent premiere of docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, some of the network’s darkest secrets have been exposed by stars of the shows of the 90s and early 2000s.
These former child actors spoke out in the series, alleging a toxic work environment fostered by executives like Dan Schneider, racism, and sexism as well as inappropriate conduct at the hands of adults on set. Of all of the allegations, perhaps the most shocking came from actor Drake Bell who revealed he made sexual abuse allegations against Nickelodeon dialogue coach, Brian Peck.
In the wake of the revelations, many other Nickelodeon stars have spoken out, including those who did not take part in the documentary. In their statements, these former Nick actors have shown support for one another, made their own allegations -- and responded to Dan’s recent public apology.
Here’s what these Nick stars had to say...
How and Why Drake Bell Turned Tables on His Abuser, Confronted Brian Peck's Supporters in Court
View Story1. Alexa Nikolas
Alexa Nikolas has been one of the most outspoken former Nickelodeon stars who has condemned the network for the way she and other child actors were treated. For years, she has shared her story, posting videos, podcasts and even picketing outside of the studio. After appearing on Quiet on Set, Alexa has continued to be vocal, particularly slamming the apology video posted by Dan Schnieder. In a two hour video, Alexa said that she didn’t accept Dan’s apology or forgive him.
“I would’ve appreciated if Dan apologized directly to me. He’s a bully, a meanie, and impacted my life, right? ... Where’s a phone call of an apology? How come you can do all of this, how can everyone do all of this but not reach out to the person that they hurt?” Alexa said.
She continued, “You don’t feel anything, Dan. You’re like every frickin’ privileged white male I’ve honestly ever met on set. You don’t even know what accountability is. You have no idea what it is. You’re searching for it maybe, but you haven’t landed on it. That’s for sure. This is not the way. I don’t wanna have to watch this. I would have so rather gotten a letter from you, for example, apologizing, genuinely, than having to witness the whole world watching whatever the hell this is. I don't forgive Dan Schneider.”
2. Josh Peck
Following the release of Quiet on Set, Josh Peck faced criticism for seemingly not supporting his former co-star Drake Bell. Fans began resurfacing clips of Josh admitting he was no longer friends with Drake, implying that the actor had not been there for Drake in his moments of darkness. While it’s unclear if Josh knew about the abuse Drake faced as a teen actor, Drake came to his defense, sharing that Josh had recently reached out to him privately.
Then, several days later, Josh made his own comments on the documentary, commending those that had shared their truth in the series.
“I finished the Quiet on Set documentary and took a few days to process it. I reached out to Drake privately, but want to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets with the world,” Josh wrote on his Instagram story.
He continued, “Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry.”
Biggest Takeaways from Quiet on Set Bonus Episode: Drake Bell, Apologies, Tokenism, Racism and More
View Story3. Devon Werkheiser
Former Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide star Devon Werkheiser faced backlash for the comments he made following the release of Quiet on Set. While on a TikTok livestream with his co-stars Lindsay Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee, Devon made a joke about the abuse that some Nickelodeon stars faced. While he followed up by saying that the Ned’s Declassified set wasn’t like that and what Drake Bell faced was “f--ked,” viewers were still appalled by his jokes.
Fans immediately called him out for joking about something so serious and Drake even tweeted, calling Devon’s comments “classless.” Devon later took to social media to post an apology.
“I was being an idiot today. No way around it. I feel horrible that my dumbass was even speaking about this without seeing it. I watched Quiet on Set tonight and am horrified by the gravity of what Drake and others shared. Truly heartbroken over what my fellow actors went through. I can’t believe they weren’t protected. I'm sorry for compounding any hurt,” Devon wrote.
4. Keenan Thompson
Keenan Thompson didn’t take part in the documentary but says his heart goes out to anyone who was victimized by the network. He explained that he never worked closely with Dan Schneider and fortunately never witnessed any of the alleged abuse that people spoke about.
“It’s a tough subject. It’s tough for me because I can’t really speak on things that I never witnessed, because all these things happened after I left, basically…all that negativity started happening outside of our tenure there,” Keenan said on the Tamron Hall Show.
He continued, “My heart goes out to anybody that’s been victimized or their families. I think it’s a good thing that the doc is out putting things on display that need to be, stories that need to be told for accountability’s sake. But it’s definitely tough to watch because I have fond memories of that place. I have fond memories of my co-stars and stuff like that, so to hear that they've gone through terrible things like that, it's really tough.”
5. Jack Salvatore Jr.
Jack Salvatore Jr. was both an actor and writer for Nickelodeon. He portrayed Mark Del Figgalo on Zoey 101 and years later, worked as a production assistant on Victorious and Sam & Cat. After watching the documentary, he took to Instagram to discuss some of the things he allegedly witnessed on set, including Dan Schneider counting “his gold coin collection in front of his crew who was living from paycheck to paycheck.”
“We could talk about the massages…We could talk about how sometimes he would bring out his shotgun to scare one of the writers when they were working at his house. We could talk about the high-level conversations I wasn’t supposed to hear about how Nickelodeon didn’t want to recommend antidepressants for Jennette McCurdy after her mom died for fear that she might kill herself and make the network look bad,” Jack claimed in the video.
He continued, “But what I do want to talk about is never letting this stuff happen again. This is an entire industry built on hope and dreams and adrenaline and wish fulfillment. And that can be a very dangerous thing for megalomaniacs to wield.”
Drake Bell Opens Up About Josh Peck's Support After Quiet on Set Release
View Story6. Nancy Sullivan
Nancy Sullivan portrayed Drake Bell’s mom on Drake & Josh and after watching Quiet on Set, she opened up about hearing Drake talk about his abuse for the first time. She said she was heartbroken to learn what he was going through and wished him the best going forward.
“They weren’t my real kids, but I’ll always love them. It broke my heart into a million pieces to hear just how much Drake was holding inside while we were working together. I was both devastated and proud seeing the man he’s grown into sit down on camera and bravely tell his truth,” Nancy wrote.
She continued, “Past abuse doesn't define us, and it has no right to rule our lives, I know that putting this burden down will free him in so many ways. I hope memories of the joy he had on our shows will someday greatly overshadow the pain. Sending love to Drake for a deep healing and for a rich and beautiful life ahead.”
Blue's Clues' Steve Burns Says He Watched 'Quiet On Set' in 'Horror'
View Story7. Raquel Lee Bolleau
Raquel Lee Bolleau was an actress on The Amanda Show who appeared in Quiet on Set. In the docuseries, she discussed the toxic work environment and how she was let go after just one season on the show. After the docuseries aired, Raquel took to TikTok to react to Drake Bell’s allegations, saying she wasn’t even in shock because that was “the type of stuff that has been going on in this industry forever.” On Instagram, she wrote that watching the series was causing her “deep pain.”
“To know that I am not alone in some of the things I experienced as a child actor, but to also hear the types of environments I was in as a kid without even knowing, just sickens my stomach. I know that everything happens for a reason and we all deserve to heal from our trauma, but this is so hard to take in,” she wrote.
She continued, “I struggled to be a part of this documentary because although this industry has caused me a lot of pain, there was still something in me that felt I shouldn’t say anything that I went through because ‘what if people don’t want to work with me anymore’ but then I realized, I’ve been fighting to be seen and heard for sooooo long in this industry. I’ve paid my dues, I’ve put in the work, and now I can be ok walking away with my head held high. What’s most important is that we all begin our healing, now that we have more clarity and truth.”
8. Leon Frierson
Leon Frierson appeared on Quiet on Set where he discussed the many things that made him uncomfortable while working on All That and the mental health issues he dealt with in the aftermath of leaving Nickelodeon. Following the release of the docuseries, Dan Schneider issued an apology -- and Leon said he was accepting of what he had to say.
“Overall, I am pleased with Dan Schneider's acknowledgment of wrong doing and display of humility. I participated in the documentary to speak my truth and represent child stars, but I'm not here to judge those implicated for an eternity. While his apology and response to rumors is incredibly timely, and could have come sooner, it is welcomed,” Leon said in a statement to EW.
He continued, “However, I can’t speak for all those affected by his actions. Lastly, Dan rightfully pointed out the missteps by the network and shed light on a failed process in terms of the questionable content that was broadcast to the world. To me, it’s important to note that his contribution to a toxic work environment does not include sexual crimes and shouldn’t necessarily be connected with convicted offenders.”
Nickelodeon Host Marc Summers Walked Out Of 'Quiet on Set' Interview: 'They Ambushed Me'
View Story9. Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross was a star on The Secret World of Alex Mack and after watching the documentary, she spoke out publicly to support all those who were affected. Although she says she didn’t have a negative experience on the set of her show, she knows everyone needs to do better for future child actors.
“In support of my friends that were directly affected by this documentary, and most importantly, affected in real life, I want to say that my heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families. I also want to make very clear that this was not my experience on Nickelodeon, and for that, I thank Lynch Entertainment and the entire cast and crew of The Secret World of Alex Mack. However, we need to do better by our young child actors. Sending love to all,” she wrote.
10. Amber Frank
Amber Frank starred as Taylor Hathaway on The Haunted Hathaways and while watching the documentary, she discovered a clip of herself. While she didn’t speak in the series, she did take to TikTok to share one particularly unsettling moment from her time on set.
“One of the horrifying things that happened in my experience with Nickelodeon was when Nickelodeon sent computers over to production when we were starting filming the show. And when they were turned on, there was child porn on them. And nobody was held accountable. There was no investigation, never even found out where it came from or who was responsible for it,” Amber claimed.
She continued, “It’s beyond heartbreaking to know that a company that was employing children failed miserably at protecting them. So I am sending a lot of love to all of the victims involved, and I hope that we can create a very different environment going forward, for child actors.”
Nickelodeon Star Allie DiMeco Claims She Was Forced to Kiss Older Man On 'Naked Brothers Band'
View Story11. Allie DiMeco
As a teenager, Allie DiMeco played Rosalina on The Naked Brothers Band and while she says the show probably had one of the most “healthy” sets on the network, she says she still experienced “trauma” and Quiet on Set reminded her of some of the more uncomfortable moments. Looking back, she says the show was very “nepotistic” because it was created by the parents of its stars, Nat and Alex Wolff. She also reflected on an episode where she was allegedly forced to kiss a 30-year-old actor and was made to feel she would lose her job if she didn’t take part.
“I’m stressed. Why? Because I’m watching the Quiet on Set documentary. I had to…My mind’s been wandering to…multiple episodes. There was an episode where Rosalina cheated on Nat and kissed a French guy. I’m 4’11, he’s a 30-year-old man. I couldn’t even watch it. It gave me f--king, the ick. It honestly gives me PTSD,” she said in a TikTok.
She continued, “I’m watching this Quiet on Set documentary and it’s talking about how integral and vital it is, especially when it’s a kids cast, to create an environment where kids feel comfortable to say ‘no’ or ‘I don’t feel comfortable with this.’...It’s also more important to create an environment that listens to the kids and actually does not make them do things when they don’t want to do them. Because they made me kiss this 30 plus year old man when I was, what, 14? 15? I told them many times I didn’t want to do it, my mom was very against it, and they just pretty much made me feel like I was gonna lose my job and like, be fired if I didn’t do it. And it was weird.”
12. Giovonnie Samuels
Giovonnie Samuels appeared on Quiet on Set to share about her experience on the set of All That. Following its premiere, she spoke out to thank viewers for their positive response to opening up about what she allegedly went through.
“Thank you to everyone that watched #QuietOnSet,” she wrote on Instagram. “I really appreciate your support. This has been a difficult year long process of making this documentary and speaking up. I couldn’t have done this without my brothers [Bryan Hearne and Giorgio Johnson] Let’s keep this conversation going!” Giovonnie wrote on Instagram.
13. Bryan Christopher Hearne
Bryan Christopher Hearne was another All That cast member who appeared in Quiet on Set, discussing how he felt he was cast in racially stereotyped roles and treated differently than non-Black child actors. After hearing viewer’s response to what he and his castmates shared, Bryan said that he hoped the documentary would bring a change for other child actors.
“I just wanted to check in real quick and say thank you for the love and support pouring in after we’ve all seen Quiet on Set. I feel very honored to have been given the opportunity to share my story. It’s definitely hard as a Black man in Hollywood, let alone a Black child. I couldn’t see what my mom was doing for me at the time, but I’m very grateful to her for being the kick-ass mom that she was, that she is,” Bryan shared.
He continued, “I wanted to give a shoutout to every child star: if you were dealing with your own triggers watching this documentary, I feel you,” he said. “I’m here for you. You heard. There’s no due date to healing. If you’re wondering ‘Why now?’ it’s because it’s time for justice. It’s time for all this stuff to be revealed and released for so many of us.”
Drake Bell on Why He Finally Shared His Story, 'Pretty Empty' Response from Nickelodeon
View Story14. Angelique Bates
Angelique Bates, who was once a cast member on All That, didn’t appear on Quiet on Set, leaving some fans wondering why she didn’t speak out. Angelique had previously been very vocal about her experience with Nickelodeon. Back in 2016, she claimed that she was “physically, emotionally, and mentally abused” on set and producers urged her to keep it a secret. Eventually her role in the show was cut back.
As for why she declined to be interviewed for Quiet on Set, Angelique explained that after her initial comments years ago she was “ridiculed and shunned by a lot of my peers, industry, and the internet” -- making it difficult for her to want to speak out again.
“Thank you for all of the love and support I have been receiving over the past few days,” Angelique wrote in a post, sharing a video where she discussed her accusations against Nickelodeon. In another post she added, “For those that spoke their truth, nothing but love & light. I still have no regrets in declining to participate. Certain stories hurt my heart. And I pray that you are able to heal.”