This article discusses sexual violence and may be triggering for some readers. The Kingston Sexual Assault Centre’s 24-hour crisis and support phone line can be reached at 613-544-6424 / 1-800-544-6424. For on campus support, community members may email bjl7@queensu.ca.
Child abuse in Hollywood started long before Nickelodeon.
A four-part docuseries titled Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, recently premiered on Investigation Discovery and Amazon Prime, shedding light on the alleged abuse, exploitation, and mistreatment of child actors at the popular kids’ network Nickelodeon.
The documentary, which featured interviews from former Nickelodeon cast members, addressed allegations of abuse against former producer Dan Schneider. During his tenure at Nickelodeon, Schneider was responsible for producing some of the most popular children’s television shows of the 2000s and 2010s, including The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, and Victorious.
Inspired by former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy’s bestselling memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, which detailed problematic events and behaviour that took place on set, the docuseries peels back the layers of Hollywood’s dark underbelly to reveal a disturbing truth: child abuse in the entertainment industry isn’t a recent phenomenon—it’s a deeply entrenched culture predating Nickelodeon and extending beyond its soundstages.
While the series focuses on Nickelodeon, it becomes increasingly clear the exploitation of child actors isn’t limited to one network or era. From the earliest days of silent films to the present day, stories of young performers being preyed upon by those in positions of power are distressingly common.
One of the most famous examples is Judy Garland. The late actress scored a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1935 at the age of 13. By the time she booked the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at 16, she was heavily addicted to the drugs she was given by studio executives to lose weight.
In an unpublished autobiography, Garland wrote she was constantly molested behind the scenes by older men, including Louis B. Mayer, the producer and cofounder of MGM.
In the third episode of Quiet on Set, Drake Bell, the star of Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, named himself as the John Doe victim in a sexual assault case against former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.
Bell, who is now 37, said he was the unnamed teenager in the trial that saw Peck convicted of child molestation in 2004. The sexual abuse allegedly occurred when Bell was 15 years old, though his identity had never been publicly revealed prior to the docuseries.
Whether it’s Garland’s harrowing experiences at MGM in the 1930s or the recent revelations about abuse on Nickelodeon sets, the patterns remain distressingly consistent.
As viewers, documentary series like Quiet on Set force us to confront the suffering of the entertainment industry’s youngest stars. From casting couches to coercive contracts, the mechanisms of exploitation may have evolved over the years, but the underlying dynamics remain unchanged.
Yet, amidst the darkness, there’s hope.
By shedding light on these long-hidden truths, survivors are empowered to speak out and demand justice. In the end, Quiet on Set is more than just a documentary—it’s a call to action. It calls on viewers to confront the uncomfortable truth of Hollywood’s past while working towards a future where the exploitation of child actors is no longer tolerated.
While the abuse may have started long before Nickelodeon, it’s up to all of us to ensure it ends here.
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