Ariana Grande 'upset' by 'innuendos' on her Nickelodeon shows after 'Quiet on Set' doc
Ariana Grande is "reprocessing" her Nickelodeon memories.
The "Eternal Sunshine" singer, who rose to fame starring on the Nickelodeon shows "Victorious" and "Sam & Cat," reflected on her experiences as a child actor on Penn Badgley's "Podcrushed" podcast. The interview came three months after the documentary "Quiet on Set" revealed allegations of inappropriate conduct at the network.
After saying she has some "very special memories" starring on "Victorious" and feels "so privileged" to have been part of the show, Grande shared that she and her former co-stars are thinking differently about it today.
"We're reprocessing our relationship to it a little bit now," she said.
Though Grande did not directly mention "Quiet on Set," she alluded to it by referencing "the survivors who have come forward" and saying "there's not a word for how devastating that is to hear about."
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"Victorious" and its spin-off "Sam & Cat" were created by Dan Schneider, who in "Quiet on Set" was accused of creating toxic work environments and making female employees uncomfortable by asking for massages, among other allegations. He denied many of the claims and is suing the documentary's producers for defamation.
In "Quiet on Set," the documentary's participants also argued shows like "Victorious" featured inappropriate sexual innuendos. In particular, the series highlighted online scenes starring Grande, which Business Insider reporter Kate Taylor said are "almost difficult to see as anything but sexual watching them now."
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While again not directly mentioning "Quiet on Set," Grande recalled being convinced at the time it was "cool" that the show "pushed the envelope" with its humor and "innuendos."
"It just all happened so quickly, and now looking back on some of the clips, I'm like, 'Damn, really?'" she said, expressing surprise that "so many adults" approved these scenes, and "the things that weren't approved for the network were snuck onto our website."
"I'm going into it," Grande added. "I guess I'm upset, but you know."
Schneider has denied claims of inappropriate sexual innuendos in his shows. A spokesperson for the producer previously told USA TODAY, "Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes."
Grande told the podcast hosts that the "environment needs to be made safer if kids are going to be acting" and called for therapists to be available on set for child actors. In fact, the Grammy-winner argued contracts for child actors, as well as young people who get involved in the music industry, should state that "therapy is mandatory" several times a week, as "a lot of people don't have the support that they need to get through performing at that level at such a young age."
The "Wicked" star also said she is happy to see a "cultural shift" in the way that people are more willing to speak out about "unacceptable" behavior in the workplace.
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"It's not just actors and singers," she said. "If you ask anyone who's ever worked if they've ever dealt with a boss that had a really bad ego and temper, or if they've been sexually harassed or even assaulted, it's everywhere."
Victoria Justice said she's owed an apology from Dan Schneider
Grande's former "Victorious" co-star Victoria Justice previously spoke out about "Quiet on Set," telling Marie Claire that Schneider treated her unfairly.
"Something that was very evident in the documentary is that Dan had a very large ego, and 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," Justice said.
She added that she is "definitely one of the people" whom Schneider owes an apology.
Grande's former "Sam & Cat" co-star Jennette McCurdy has also spoken negatively about her experiences as a child actor. In her book "I'm Glad My Mom Died," she wrote about a "mean-spirited, controlling, and terrifying" creator whom she never named but was speculated to be Schneider.