Dan Schneider Sues ‘Quiet On Set’ Documentary Creators for Defamation: Everything We Know

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Dan Schneider is suing the creators responsible for Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

The former Nickelodeon TV producer filed a defamation lawsuit, which was obtained by TMZ on Monday, May 1, that slams the documentary series as well as its creators — including Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Television, among others.

The creator of iCarly claimed in an unfiled unlimited civil complaint, that the series falsely implied that he sexually abused the child actors who worked on his shows back in the day.

Dan’s lawsuit also alleges that Quiet on Set manipulated the series to create a “false impression” of Schneider — and attempted to lump him into the “same bucket as two other convicted child sex offenders who worked on some of the Nickelodeon shows,” per TMZ.

He said the defendants did it all for “clickbait, ratings, and views — or simply put, money.”

In November 2024, Judge Ashfaq G. Chowdhury has allowed the showrunner to proceed with his defamation lawsuit, finding that the TV producer’s claims are not frivolous, and that a “reasonable viewer” might conclude that the documentary makes “damning implications about his conduct,” per Variety.

The judge wrote that Dan’s lawyers had argued “persuasively that defamation can be implied, that the trailer and documentary state or imply Schneider sexually abused children who worked on his show and that Schneider was a child sexual abuser.”

ICYMI, the first four episodes of the doc series first aired on March 17, on Investigation Discovery — and later premiered on Discovery+ and Max. Immediately, the documentary created quite the stir in Hollywood, as cast and crew members from some of Nickelodeon’s early 2000s hit shows united together to discuss some of the grueling and traumatic experiences they faced on set.

Including familiar faces from All That, The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh and Zoey 101, Nickelodeon employees made startling allegations about the company’s “toxic environment” and took a look at some of the key influential leaders of the company — in particular, Schneider.

The producer and creator of popular shows like iCarly, Victorious and Sam & Cat, was called out for his behavior on set, which included inappropriate jokes, sexism in the writers’ room and more.

Schneider told TMZ, “Recently the docuseries Quiet on Set highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon, most of which happened decades ago during my early career as a producer, working on shows for Tollin/Robbins Productions. 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.”

Of the lawsuit, he said: “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. 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.”

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