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What Did Dan Schneider Do to Amanda Bynes? Why the ‘Amanda Show’ Star and Creator Parted Ways
Dan Schneider was once the golden showrunner and writer behind a number of Nickelodeon’s successful programming including The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh and iCarly, but his relationships with child actors – namely Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell and Alexa Nikolas – raised eyebrows then and now. His dynamic with the Amanda Show star is set to be explored in Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set, and alarmed viewers are wondering what Dan did to Amanda.
When Did Dan Schneider Meet Amanda Bynes?
Before she was America’s hilarious sweetheart, Amanda was a young kid performing at the Los Angeles Laugh Factory. It was there that Dan discovered her as a potential talent, and Amanda started appearing on All That before her own program, The Amanda Show, was launched.
“Dan saw her and immediately knew she would be a star,” director Virgil L. Fabian, who worked closely with Dan over the course of his golden years, said in ID’s documentary series.
What Did Dan Schneider Do to Amanda Bynes?
The Amanda Show aired for three successful seasons, but not everything was peachy between its star and showrunner. While no evidence of sexual relations was presented involving the executive, Dan was said to be overtly inappropriate with Amanda and additional onset employees.
For instance, All That alum Leon Frierson recalled in ID’s Quiet on Set that Dan insisted on using phallic-looking nose prosthetics, as well as skintight spandex costumes. The Amanda Show character Penelope Taint – who was brought to life by Amanda in sketches – was another example of a sexual innuendo, two writers claimed. According to the former employees of Dan’s, the showrunner hid the character name from Nickelodeon and told them to remain tight-lipped about the subject.
Further alarming interactions between a then-minor Amanda and Dan came to light after the fact. For instance, a video of bikini-clad Amanda as a child and Dan sitting in a hot tub alone recirculated on social media, as did photos of Amanda hugging him from behind.
Why Did Dan Schneider and Amanda Bynes Stop Working Together?
Though The Amanda Show was a huge success for the network, Dan and Amanda, the two parted ways and halted professional collaboration. The ID documentary series claimed that Amanda – who tried to become emancipated from her parents – was on the receiving end of Dan’s help in her pursuits, but the legal battle fell through.
Not only did Amanda remain under her parents’ control, but her legal fight came amid Dan’s second attempt at writing a program featuring her, What I Like About You. Dan eventually left the show’s production, concluding their professional relationship.
What Happened to Amanda Bynes?
Though she enjoyed a fruitful career as a child actor, Amanda has struggled with her mental health for many years. She found herself back in the headlines in August 2013 after a string of substance abuse issues and mental health crises, and her mother was put in charge of her personal affairs and medical care.
In 2022, Amanda – possibly spurred on by Britney Spears’ success – petitioned to have her conservatorship dissolved. She was successful, but was back in the public eye just one month later after experiencing a psychotic episode. She is pursuing her manicurist’s license as of publication.
What Has Dan Schneider Said About ‘Quiet on Set’?
Dan has regularly maintained that there was no wrongdoing on his part during his time as a showrunner at Nickelodeon. Amid the flurry of accusations included in Quiet on Set, his team told Entertainment Weekly, “Dan cared about the kids on his shows even when sometimes their own families unfortunately did not. He understood what they were going through and he was their biggest champion. The fact is many of the kids on these shows are put in the untenable position of becoming the breadwinner for their family and the pressure that comes along with that.”
Dan’s statement continued, “Add on top of that the difficulties of growing up and having to do so under the spotlight while working a demanding job, all as a child,” the statement continued. “That is why there are many levels of standards, executives, lawyers, teachers and parents everywhere, all the time, on every set, every day. However, it is still a hard place to be a kid and nobody knew that better than Dan.”
What Has Nickelodeon Said About ‘Quiet on Set’?
The network told In Touch in a statement ahead of Quiet on Set that though they can’t “corroborate or negate” any of the allegations made, “Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct.”
Their statement to In Touch concluded, “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
Quiet on Set will drop on MAX or ID on March 17, 2024, with part two releasing the following day.
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