Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 alum Alexa Nikolas, who has consistently slammed the alleged toxic environment on the show set, appeared in ID’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. The docuseries premiered on March 17, 2024, in a two-night special event. The four-part series featured multiple former child actors from hit shows as they recounted their experiences.
According to USA Today, Nikolas has previously spoken out about the abusive and toxic environment at Nickelodeon. Additionally, she has made social media appearances, addressing the matter and criticizing creator Dan Schneider for creating such an environment. The former Zoey 101 child actor has also appeared on podcasts and given interviews to reporters, alleging extensive bullying. She reportedly left the show as well as the network after the second season.
In Quiet on Set, Alexa Nikolas revealed how Nickelodeon negatively affected her mental health and self-esteem, per Entertainment Weekly. She further claimed, “Towards the end of season 2 of Zoey 101, I wasn’t happy. I actually could not show up to set anymore without crying. A lot of my self-worth was deeply damaged from that set experience. Me as a person was altered for life.”
The docuseries also features interviews with other Nickelodeon child actors and crew members. They have alleged that Schneider exhibited abusive behavior as they worked in an environment fueled by racism, sexism, and sexual assault.
Quiet on Set re-airs on Investigation Discovery this Friday, March 22, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET.
How did Zoey 101’s Alexa Nikolas react to Dan Schneider’s Quiet on Set apology?
Responding to Quiet on Set allegations, former Nickelodeon producer-writer Dan Schneider released an apology video on YouTube. According to BBC, Schneider parted ways with the network in 2018 after allegations about his abusive behavior first surfaced. He now apologized for his “embarrassing” behavior on show sets, claiming that he owes “some people a pretty strong apology.”
In the video, Schneider said, “I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.” He claimed that watching the Quiet on Set docuseries was “very difficult” for him. Schneider stated, “When I watched the show… I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes.” He also apologized for certain inappropriate jokes he made in the writers’ room. Schneider called his actions “wrong.”
The former producer further said, “I apologise to anybody that I ever put in that situation, and even additionally, I apologise to the people who were walking around video village or wherever they happened, because there were lots of people there who witnessed it who also may have felt uncomfortable.”
However, according to Entertainment Weekly, Zoey 101 alum Alexa Nikolas claimed that it wasn’t enough in her own response video to Dan Schneider’s apology. Nikolas called out Schneider for not apologizing personally to the kids who suffered. She said, “When someone doesn’t personally come to you and apologize, it’s not an apology. If you hear about it through other people, it’s not really an apology right? An apology is to the person that you hurt. That’s what an apology is for.”
Nickolas said, “I would’ve appreciated if Dan apologized directly to me,” calling him “a bully, a meanie” whose actions impacted her life. She added, “Where’s a phone call of an apology? How come you can do all of this, how can everyone do all of this but not reach out to the person that they hurt?”
The actress continued, “You don’t feel anything, Dan,” further calling him a “privileged white male.” She claimed that she “didn’t wanna have to watch this. I would have so rather gotten a letter from you, for example, apologizing, genuinely, than having to witness the whole world watching whatever the hell this is.”
Lastly, Alexa Nikolas noted, “I don’t forgive Dan Schneider. Not saying I’ll never, right? But currently, right now, that made me a little more upset, just because that just wasn’t it. Nikolas called him out for not taking “proper accountability” and “avoiding a lot of the main discussions” that Quiet on Set addressed. Furthermore, she said Schneider’s apology was “him playing the sympathy card, centering himself, playing the victim.”
Quiet on Set re-airs on Investigation Discovery this Friday, March 22, starting at 10 p.m. ET.
