After Amanda Bynes broke her silence about a disturbing rumor that emerged this week, netizens were quick to resurface “strange” comments that former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider made about the teenage star.
Schneider’s resurfaced comments reignited scrutiny about his behavior toward Bynes and her fellow child stars. Netizens also took particular notice of the former Nickelodeon producer’s defensive statements about his shows’ inappropriate jokes.
Dan Schneider has defended his work at Nickelodeon, arguing that the shows’ jokes were written for a kid audience
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Dan Schneider had previously spoken about Bynes in a conversation published on his YouTube channel, DanWarp, where he spoke with BooG!e, the former iCarly actor who played T-Bo.
During their conversation, BooG!e pointed out that some of the jokes Schneider wrote for his Nickelodeon shows were now being viewed as inappropriate for children, even though they were often delivered by kids.
Schneider pushed back on the insinuation, insisting that “every one of those jokes was written for a kid audience because kids thought they were funny, and only funny.”
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He also insisted that he was not reluctant to remove jokes that didn’t hold up over time.
“Let’s cut those jokes out of the show, just like I would have done 20 years ago or 25 years ago,” he said.“I want my shows to be popular. I want everyone to like (the shows), the more people who liked the shows, the happier I am.”
Netizens, however, were not as easy to convince. Following his comments, netizens pointed out that Schneider didn’t seem very apologetic at all.
Image credits: Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images via FilmMagic
“He’s saying he’s sorry but then he’s still blaming his inappropriate jokes for kids on the people who were offended. He’s not saying he was wrong, he’s just saying he’s sorry that it hurt people,” one commenter stated.
Another simply stated, “The damage is already done! These kids are adults in their 30s, and sorry just isn’t enough!”
Dan Schneider also described his and Amanda Bynes’ working relationship
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During the discussion, Schneider also recalled that Bynes, who was around 16 or 17 at the time, had expressed interest in becoming independent from her parents, something he described as not uncommon among young actors during that era.
According to Schneider, Bynes had gone to her professional team, which consisted of her agent, manager, publicist, and lawyer. He said that he was one of the people she approached for advice during that time.
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“Amanda was between the ages of 16 and 17, and she wanted to get emancipated from her parents, which was a fairly common thing with successful young actors, at least at the time…. We supported her, she tried to get emancipated, and it ended up not working out and she didn’t,” he said.
He also recalled a separate incident in which Bynes allegedly tried to run away from home after a conflict with her parents. Schneider said she had contacted him in distress, prompting him to call someone he believed could help her.
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“One night very late, well after midnight, 1 or 2 in the morning, phone rang, I answered, it was Amanda. She was upset. She was in distress. She had had some conflict with her parents, I think her father, and she called me.
“I was immediately concerned about her safety. I called someone that I knew was fairly nearby. That person was able to go and pick her up. I knew she was safe, I felt better. She ended up being taken to the police,” the former Nickelodeon producer said.
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Bynes, for her part, recently stepped in to provide the facts about a TikTok rumor alleging that Schneider had gotten her pregnant at 13.
According to the former actress, the video came from a fan account and was not something she had created or endorsed. The claims, she emphasized, were false, according to an Unilad report.
Dan Schneider responded to allegations as legal battles continued
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The resurfacing of Schneider’s old interview also brought renewed attention to his direct response to the allegations raised in Quiet on Set. In the same video, he said watching the documentary had been emotionally difficult.
“Watching (the documentary) over the past two nights was very difficult, me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret,” Schneider said. “I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”
While the documentary generated widespread reaction, Schneider also pursued legal action. In 2024, a California judge ruled that he could move forward with a defamation claim against Warner Bros. Discovery and the producers of the series.
In his comments, Judge Ashfaq G. Chowdhury stated that Schneider’s case was not brought “on frivolous grounds, simply to harass defendants.” He added that it was “not the type of baseless lawsuit… that the anti-Slapp statute was designed to w**d out.”
“He’s suing Defendants about a documentary they made about him, that focuses on his activities, and, which a reasonable viewer might conclude makes damning implications about his conduct,” Judge Chowdhury said.
Netizens shared their thoughts on Dan Schneider’s comments about Amanda Bynes on social media
