Nickelodeon star Kenan Thompson has spoken out about the recent allegations against producer Dan Schneider.
The documentary was released in the US earlier this month Peace on set: The dark side of children’s television sees former Drake and Josh Star Drake Bell is making allegations of sexual abuse that he says he suffered at the age of 15.
In it, Bell – who appeared in several of the network’s shows in the 2000s – claimed he was the victim of abuse by Brian Peck, who worked as a dialogue coach at Nickelodeon’s All that And The Amanda Show.
The show also included allegations against former Nickelodeon executive producer Dan Schneider, who left the network in 2018 after a ViacomCBS investigation accused him of verbal abuse on set but found no evidence of sexual misconduct.
He has since responded to the allegations made in the documentary, admitting that it was “very difficult” for him to watch him come to terms with his “past behaviour – some of which is embarrassing and which I regret”.
In light of the allegations, Thompson, who is in All that And Kenan and Kel in the nineties, spoke about his own experiences working for the network.
The 45-year-old actor said more needs to be done to ensure the safety of children in the industry. “Investigate more,” Thompson demanded during an appearance on Tamron Hall Show on Wednesday (March 27).
“It’s supposed to be a safe place for children. And to hear all this, it’s like, ‘How dare you?'” he continued.
Thompson said the allegations made by Bell and the other Nickelodeon stars were “hard” for him because of his own personal experiences on the show.
“It’s hard for me because I can’t really talk about things that I never experienced, you know what I mean? Because all of those things basically happened after I left,” he said.
Drake and Josh Creator Schneider will serve as co-executive producer in every episode of Kenan and KelThe first two seasons with 11 episodes listed.
He also wrote and produced several episodes of All that and is a screenwriter and co-producer of Good burgerthe spinoff of the 1997 film.
Thompson said of his time at Schneider: “Dan wasn’t really Kenan and Kel so.”
He explained: “I mean, he was mentioned as a creator, but it was a different showrunner, so our worlds didn’t really overlap that much, aside from All thatabsolutely. And then all this negativity started outside of our tenure there, you know what I mean? So I didn’t really notice a lot of it.”
The Saturday Night Live A cast member expressed his condolences and support for the victims who have come forward.
“My condolences go out to all the victims and their families,” he said. “I think it’s good that the (documentary) has come out and is bringing things to light, stories that need to be told, to bring accountability.”
He added that it was “hard to watch” the allegations unfold “because I have good memories of this place and I have good memories of my co-stars and things like that.”
If you have been raped or sexually abused, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation who will provide you with specialist, independent and confidential support. Visit their website for more information. Here.
