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Keke Palmer and her mother Sharon have discussed her experiences as a child actor for Nickelodeon, recalling that the atmosphere on former producer Dan Schneider’s sets felt “very weird, very cultish.”
Keke, 30, starred in Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP from 2008 to 2011, which Schneider was not involved in.
Schneider, 58, was recently heavily featured in the Investigation Discovery docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which alleged that he had presided over a culture of abuse, harassment, racism and sexism on the sets of his shows.
This week, Sharon Palmer appeared on her daughter’s podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer and said that other mothers of child actors had encouraged her to watch the docuseries.
Keke then recalled: “I honestly do remember you having a lot to say about the Dan Schneider sets. I remember you feeling a way about Nickelodeon... I want to hear what you have to say.”
Her mother replied: “My honest opinion is I thought the whole atmosphere of the Dan Schneider set was very weird, very cultish. The parents were very secretive, and I honestly thought they all took themselves way too seriously.”
Sharon continued: “The whole conversation was: ‘Oh my God! What’s happening next? Did you hear they’re going to cancel this show? What’s coming next?’ It was always so frantic about what was being canceled.
“I always looked at you being at Nickelodeon as just a stopping station. You didn’t get your start on Nickelodeon or Disney. You were blessed and fortunate enough to work, and to work in adult situations and kid situations. My mentality about the entertainment business wasn’t that Disney Channel or Nickelodeon was the end all to be all, but a lot of the parents did.”
The biggest bombshell to come out of ID’s documentary was from Drake & Josh alum Drake Bell, who spoke out for the first time about the alleged sexual abuse he says he suffered at the hands of actor and since-convicted sex offender Brian Peck.
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Sharon commented: “When I saw the Drake story it just broke my heart, because I could see how his parents got trapped.”
Following the release of the docuseries, Schneider released an apology video, saying that watching the documentary was “very difficult” as he faced his “past behaviours – some of which are embarrassing and that I regret.”
He later announced that he was suing the documentary makers, accusing them of misleading viewers into thinking he was a child predator to increase ratings.
A lawsuit filed by Schneider’s attorneys and obtained by The Independent reads: “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.”
Schneider is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, legal fee coverage and for preliminary or permanent injunctive relief, including editing, taking down or removing all or a portion of the Trailer and/or Quiet on Set.
