A FORMER NICKELODEON star and nearly 30 protestors gathered outside of the studio’s Burbank office on Thursday, protesting Nickelodeon over what they alleged was an enabling of abuse from executives at the network.
Organized by Alexa Nikolas, who starred in the popular kid’s show Zoey 101 for the show’s first two seasons in 2005 and 2006, the protest specifically called out Dan Schneider, the creator of Zoey 101, alongside other popular Nick shows including iCarly, Victorious and Drake and Josh.
In a poster she designed, Nikolas called Schneider “the creator of childhood trauma,” itself an apparent reference to “The Creator” who former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy referenced in her recent book I’m Glad My Mom Died. (McCurdy never identified The Creator, who she alleged had encouraged her to drink alcohol while underage and claimed had massaged her shoulders without permission.)
“I didn’t feel protected at Nickelodeon as a child,” Nickolas said. “I didn’t feel safe around Dan Schneider; every time he came on set my body got extremely tense. Later on in season 2, him and a bunch of executives made me cry in a room alone. I don’t think any child should have to experience anything like that, especially when it’s coming from people that are supposed to be looking out for the kids on set.”