In the aftermath of Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, there’s been reignited public interest in Nickelodeon’s workplace atmosphere during the mid-’90s through the 2000s. It was during this time that ex-producer Dan Schneider oversaw many of the network’s biggest shows. During and since the docuseries debuted, a number of former child stars have been opening up, with some sharing their personal experiences with Schneider. All That alum Lori Beth Denberg is now recalling how she raised concerns over Schneider’s treatment of Amanda Bynes – and how she received backlash for it.
The actress shared her account of events while participating in a candid interview with Business Insider, and she made several claims against Dan Schneider. Among them are that he fondled her and put his mouth on her breasts while they were at his home and that he showed her pornography on multiple occasions. After the end of her tenure on All That in 1998, the Good Burger alum allegedly sought to move past the “weird, abusive friendship” she’d developed with the Kenan & Kel EP. However, she ultimately found herself near his orbit again around 1999 when Amanda Bynes invited her to the set of her eponymous series, The Amanda Show, which was also created by Schneider.
As Lori Beth Denberg explained, her choice to visit the set stemmed from her reasoning that she “loved [Amanda] more than [she] hated Dan.” She states that what she found was that the then-13-year-old Bynes, who apparently looked “gaunt” at the time, was being mistreated. The Steve Harvey Show alum explained to the outlet that she’d long had concerns about how the iCarly EP had treated Bynes and that when she got to the set, he’d rattled her after changing her script at the last minute. Denberg reportedly spoke up on her former All That co-star’s behalf, (non-directly) telling the producer he couldn’t switch up “the little girl's lines on the spot.” Denberg claims he gave the following response:
I can do whatever I want.
Amanda Bynes passed on Quiet on Set as, according to insiders, her experiences as a Nickelodeon star differed from those of her peers. It was also said that she was grateful for the experiences she’d had. As far as the public knows, Bynes (whose nearly nine-year conservatorship ended in 2022) has yet to see the docuseries. Since it dropped, Dan Schneider issued an apology, during which he mentioned Bynes. He specifically recalled an instance in which he allegedly assisted her when she was having a problem at home with her parents.
Lori Beth Denberg recalled being very worried about her former co-star’s well being back in the early aughts, and that grew after her set visit. After being told by a friend that Bynes was not doing well at the time, Denberg spoke to Brian Robbins, who was the head of Tollin/Robbins Productions and co-created All That. Allegedly, Denberg made an emotional appeal to Robbins over her concerns for Bynes. In response, the exec supposedly didn’t follow up with any questions and argued that Dan Schneider, with whom he worked with on several productions, hadn’t had the easiest road either. Denberg later spoke with Albie Hecht, then president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, who later told her that Bynes’ filming schedules had been changed. However, Denberg later learned that she’d been banned from the Amanda Show set.
The actress, who was filled with “disgust and defeat and sadness” after the ordeal, is just one of Amanda Bynes’ former co-stars who’s spoken about her as of late. Fellow Amanda Show alum Drake Bell also sang Bynes' praises during an interview. Bell, whose sexual abuse at the hands of ex-dialogue coach Brian Peck was revealed on QoS, called Bynes’ work “awe-inspiring.” In recent years, other All That alums like Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell have sent sweet messages to her as well.
As of this writing, the What a Girl Wants alum has yet to speak out about Dan Schneider following the docuseries’ premiere or comment on the accounts from Lori Beth Denberg and the others. Only time will tell whether she chooses to share her experiences. In the meantime, know that Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is available to stream with a Max subscription.
