I think we’re all singing as Victoria Justice is victorious in breaking her silence on the Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV docuseries a couple of months after its release. The show shined a light on the mistreatment of children in the entertainment industry, and featured interviews from various Nickelodeon stars, including Drake Bell. Now, Justice has spoken up about her past as a child star.
In a Marie Claire interview called “The Victoria Era,” Justice navigates her journey from child star to empowered musician, bringing justice to her childhood experiences on set with Dan Schneider as she describes her “complex” relationship with the Nickelodeon producer. Known for her roles in Zoey 101 and Victorious, Justice seeks an apology for the alleged toxic environment that shadowed her time on these beloved shows.
After playing two popular characters on the network, Lola Martinez and Tori Vega, Justice values the chances Schneider provided her early in her career. “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,” Justice explained. “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.”
Schneider’s alleged unprofessional conduct at work has circulated for a while now, but they’ve picked up momentum lately as ex-Nickelodeon stars and writers step up to recount their alleged disturbing encounters with him. Her Campus reached out to Schneider’s team for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication. Justice also stands firm in not endorsing any of Schneider’s actions. “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.
Similar to Robarazzi Starring Robbie Shapiro, the docuseries primarily aimed to reveal the behind-the-scenes dynamics. More specifically, it spilled how Schneider slipped several sexual undertones into his iconic children’s shows. Even though she stresses that her time on the shows were nothing sexual, she sees how some moments “were poor in taste.” Her Campus reached out to Schneider’s team for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Not including a few in-person reunions and some virtual ones on the Pear Phone with the casts of Victorious and Zoey 101, Justice has rarely been in contact with Schneider since leaving Nickelodeon. After viewing the docuseries, Schneider acknowledged the need for an apology. “I would say I’m definitely one of the people on that list,” Justice replied and opened the playing field for this important conversation to continue. “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.” Although Justice might not have the latest Quinnvention or Jet X scooter to aid Schneider in his redemption journey, he does have a platform to amplify his apology, despite many fans who believe he should not.
Although she wasn’t in the documentary, the Victoria Justice interview has definitely sparked a crucial dialogue among the Nickelodeon actresses. It’s clear that there’s a lot to unpack and reconcile, and some might now be inspired to speak out as well, especially Justice being the headliner she was. By speaking out against Schneider, Justice is showing how important it is to hold people accountable and to look out for the well-being of those as they continue to rise within the entertainment industry.