‘Drake & Josh’ creator Dan Schneider sues 'Quiet on Set' producers for defamation

Schneider is accused of inappropriate behavior on the sets of his Nickelodeon shows in the 1990s and 2000s.

Dan Schneider has filed a lawsuit against the producers of the new Investigation Discovery docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV," which accused him of inappropriate behavior on the sets of his Nickelodeon shows in the 1990s and 2000s.

In the legal documents obtained by E! News on May 1, Schneider stated that the series falsely implied he was a child sex abuser by featuring him in the documentary alongside Brian Peck, who was sentenced to 16 months in prison on charges related to a child sex abuse case involving Drake Bell.

Schneider, 58, asserts that he was not complicit in the abuse, "condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself."

Schneider's legal team described the documentary as a "hit job" against the producer, who created popular shows like "The Amanda Show," "Zoey 101," "iCarly," and "Victorious" before leaving the network in 2018.

According to the lawsuit, "Quiet on Set" defamed him while seeking "clickbait, ratings, and views—or simply put, money."

After filing the lawsuit, Schneider stated in a message to E! News that he had "no choice" but to take legal action against the production companies for suggesting he was "involved in or facilitated horrific crimes."

"There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader. I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it," he added. "I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators."

He continued, "I owe it to myself, my family, and the many wonderful people involved in making these shows to set the record straight."

Schneider had previously addressed "Quiet on Set," issuing an apology after some former child actors, including Leon Frierson and Alexa Nikolas, shared instances where they felt uncomfortable on set or were asked to wear inappropriate costumes.

"Watching over the past two nights was very difficult for me," Schneider shared in a YouTube video. "Facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret, and I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology."

He acknowledged noticing the pain in their eyes during the show, and he remarked,, "We have some adults looking back at them 20 years later through their lens and they're looking at them and they're saying, 'Oh, you know, I don't think that's appropriate for a kid show.'"