Former Viacom Exec: 'I Never Saw Any Evidence' Of Sexual Misconduct With Dan Schneider

In the days since it was announced that Nickelodeon was parting ways with its long-time writer/producer Dan Schneider and his Schneider's Bakery Productions there has been a lot of public speculation about why he left at this particular moment. Schneider spent nearly twenty years creating a string of hit shows targeting tween audiences and while ratings have dropped for such shows across the industry, his show "Henry Danger" remains the top-rated teen show on the network. So given that success, why are the two companies severing ties right now?

It didn't take long for the rumors to surface about possible reasons for Schneider's exit. Executives from Nickelodeon owner Viacom have suggested part of the problem was due to what they describe as Schneider's "difficult" personality. And when Deadline's Nellie Andreeva broke the news of the exit last week, her story included a description of an acrimonious meeting between Schneider and network executives:

I hear at the meeting Schneider also was told that, with his other Nick comedy, Henry Danger, on hiatus, another show (I hear it’s Austin & Ally creators Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert’s new Nick series, Cousins for Life),would move into the production space in the Nickelodeon-owned Burbank studios which has housed Schneider’s series exclusively for the past few years. Sources say that Schneider objected to the prospect of having to share the office and production space with the non-Bakery show.

But the rumors that have surfaced most frequently over the past week center around allegations Schneider may have had some sort of inappropriate contact with one or more of his tween stars. His peculiar fascination with his star's feet has long been a topic of conversation among fans of his various television shows. But does Schneider's exit from Nickelodeon mean these rumors might be based on some sort of fact?

I've spoken to nearly a dozen current and former cast members on his show and while none of them were willing to talk on anything but background, they all described a similar work experience: chaotic, often brutal hours and an immense amount of pressure from both Schneider and other producers. But while everyone had heard the same sexual allegations targeting Schneider, no one had any direct knowledge of any inappropriate behavior.

That is the same situation described to me by a former Viacom executive, who had direct knowledge of the working conditions on the set of several Schneider shows as well as direct knowledge of conversations that took place between Viacom executives and Dan Schneider. The executive asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to discuss their time with the company. The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity:

Q: What did you think when you heard Nickelodeon had cuts ties with Dan Schneider?

A: (Laughing). Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long. This was an inevitable move for the company. I think on some level, there was a lot of desire to keep him in the fold. Like him or not, he's a freaking genius at what he does. And he is going to have more hits. Despite some recent missteps, no one in the genre has a stronger track record than he has. But he was a nightmare to deal with on a daily basis.

Q: A nightmare in what way?

A: Let's leave aside the personality issues for now. This is a high-pressure business and some of the people working in the production can be....aggressively passionate. A network can overlook a lot of those types of difficulties. But the issue that was an ongoing problem was the budget. The overtime, meal penalties....he was spending a lot of money that didn't need to be spent at a time when the audience for teen shows in general on cable is shrinking. It was unsustainable and while I don't know for a fact that is the factor which led to the final break, I do know that it was an issue the network saw as make or break for working with him in the future.

Q: So do you have any idea why production was running so far over time on a regular basis?

A: A small part of the problem is just caused by the nature of the beast. You're dealing with young actors - some not that experienced. They're expected to deliver lines and hit marks like an older adult and that's not always possible. But some of that is built into the schedule. The real problem with Schneider's shows is the way they were shot. Multiple takes for nearly every scene, many times four or five or six takes for a two-line shot. All in the name of having "editing decisions." The end result was overruns across the board. It was an issue that had only gotten worse over the past few years and at some point, the network has to either assert more control or just walk away.

Q: You mentioned personality issues with Dan Schneider. What did you mean?

A: (Sigh). I mentioned before that no one in the industry has been better at creating successful teen shows over the past twenty years than Dan Schneider. The problem is that he knows it. He's not afraid to throw his weight around and he's extremely protective of his work environment and his shows.

In some ways, that's great. Staying close to the fans, knowing the productions better than anyone else....that's part of what made him so successful. And he's been tied into online fandom since the earliest years. In an environment where most of the audience is moving in that direction, having a strong online component is important.

The problem is he saw every battle as "can't lose." It's a weird analogy, but Dan is like the NRA. You know how they see every small step toward gun control as the first step towards outlawing guns? That's Dan with every issue. He saw every battle as the first step towards him losing creative control. So discussions about even the most mundane issues could be....challenging. And there was always something he wanted to argue about: the promos gave too much away, there was not enough support behind an upcoming story arc, he needed this or that to make an episode work. It can be exhausting.

One other factor to consider here is Nick has been in the middle of Viacom's executive reshuffling. Some of Schneider's long-time supporters are gone or off to other parts of the company. So this was a natural time to consider a change.

Q: What do you make of the allegations of sexual misconduct that have been swirling around Schneider since the exit was announced?

A: These stories have been around for years. Sometimes it's just vague rumors, but you and I have both heard some of the more specific stuff. I can't guarantee anything, maybe things happened above my pay grade, maybe things happened that have been just very well hidden....

Let me backtrack a bit. There are a couple of things at play here to begin with...sadly, we are in an industry where sexual misconduct is rampant in some organizations. Here, you're dealing with a guy who has made a career out of spotting actors when they are very young and building the perfect show around them. Both inside the industry and out there's this unfortunate tendency to suspect any person who chooses to work primarily with young actors. There's always this vague cynical suspicion there is some creepy alternative motive.

Q: I mentioned to someone the other day that I can't imagine the reaction Mr. Rogers would have received if he tried to debut a show in 2018.

A: EXACTLY! Dan Schneider is going to be the focus of some rumors regardless of any other factor. And let's be honest, he hasn't done himself any favors with some of his social media postings. The toes fetish is just creepy. And this is Hollywood. So if Dan Schneider was a thin, good-looking guy, he probably wouldn't receive half of the attention he has in recent years.

Q: Do you know of any complaints against Dan Schneider? Any settled or unsettled cases?

A: I'm going to be careful here in that I do know things that are private company issues and I take the trust I've been given seriously. But I can tell you I know of no allegations of sexual misconduct or inappropriate sexual behavior against Dan Schneider that were ever litigated while I was there. He might have been an asshole to work with and if you told me about complaints he was emotionally abusive, I don't know that I'd be surprised. But I have never heard of any inappropriate physical contacts with any of the cast. Maybe it was a discussion that happened above my pay grade. Maybe it was just really well hidden. I've read the same rumors online that you have. But I never saw any evidence of that kind of misconduct.

Q: What about the rumors that sexual misconduct was hidden by the network or that an actress had settled allegations out of court and couldn't talk because of a non-disclosure agreement?

A: I've heard those claims as well. Specifically regarding a particular actress. I honestly don't believe it. First, the network would have to be insane to try and hide something serious. Especially if it involved kids. I know it's happened at other places and in this post-Weinstein era, I realize anything is possible. But allegations have surfaced before and some of the cases involved people connected with one of our (Nickelodeon) shows. It's tough, but the truth comes out and people try and move on. If it came out that executives knew about serious sexual misconduct with a minor and tried to hide it? Everyone would be gone and they'd be running infomercials in primetime. It would be a catastrophic event and I would hope no one I ever worked with would agree to such a coverup. I certainly don't have the slightest indication that it ever happened while I was there.

One other thing. People online who throw around the NDA claim usually don't know what the hell they're talking about. You can't use an NDA in California to hide inappropriate sexual contact with a minor. Both sides can agree to it and lots of money can change hands. But the victim could turn around and reveal the truth, so having them sign an NDA would be pointless.

So I don't think the rumors are true. Could I be wrong? Sure, I suppose. But short of learning how to read minds, if anything ever happened, no one has talked about it around me. And on a personal level, it's hard to imagine Dan doing it. Yeah, he can be an ass. But he generally seemed to have been protective of his cast. Which might have been on of his biggest faults.