Victoria Justice Speaks Out on Dan Schneider and ‘Quiet on Set’ Allegations
Victoria Justice says she felt she was treated unfairly as a child actor on Nickelodeon.
Justice, now 31, broke out as Lola Martinez on Zoey 101 before earning her own show, Victorious, on the network in 2010. She’s the latest Nick alum to speak out about her treatment and former producer Dan Schneider’s actions in wake of the explosive Investigation Discovery docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
“Something that was very evident in the documentary is that Dan had a very large ego,” she told Marie Claire in an interview published Wednesday, May 15. “Sometimes that ego clouded his better judgment and affected the way he treated people, and there were times I felt like I was being treated unfairly.”
Quiet on Set detailed Schneider’s tenure at Nickelodeon and his alleged inappropriate conduct. It also covered allegations of sexual abuse, specifically from former dialogue coach Brian Peck. Justice clarified that her mistreatment was “never anything sexual” but that certain moments “were in poor taste.”
Schneider has since admitted in a video interview that he owes “some people a pretty strong apology.”
“I would say I’m definitely one of the people on that list,” Justice said.
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She added, however, that the two are not in touch. They’ve seen each other in a couple of virtual and in-person Zoey 101 reunions, but except for the occasional birthday text, the two do not speak.
Justice admits her feelings toward Schneider are complicated.
“I’m not condoning any of his behavior,” she said. “At the end of the day, my relationship with Dan is a very complex one: I met him when I was 12 years old, and he’s the person that gave me this big break. He completely changed my life. Most likely I wouldn’t be here where I am today if it weren’t for him, and for him seeing something in me. For that I will always be grateful. After watching his apology, I think he recognizes that he did a lot of things wrong, and I think if he could step back into a time machine, he would do a lot of things differently.”
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Schneider has admitted as much, saying of his behavior, “I wish I could go back and fix that.”
“I can tell you why it hurts really bad for me,” Schneider said. “I remember very clearly my early experiences [and] my first experiences in the entertainment business. I was green, I was scared, I was excited. It meant the world to me that I was getting those opportunities and I went in and I got lucky cause they were great. And the fact that I didn’t pay that forward to every employee that walked through my door, it hurts my heart cause I should have.”
