In a new interview, the former 'Victorious' star admits that she has complicated feelings toward the producer and explains why she's not 'condoning any of his behavior.'
- May 16, 2024
AceShowbiz - Victoria Justice has spoken on Dan Schneider and the explosive docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV". When addressing the matter, the "Victorious" alum claimed she was also "treated unfairly" as a child actor on Nickelodeon.
"Something that was very evident in the documentary is that Dan had a very large ego," the 31-year-old said during a sit-down with Marie Claire. "Sometimes that ego clouded his better judgment and affected the way he treated people, and there were times I felt like I was being treated unfairly."
Victoria, however, made it clear that her mistreatment was "never anything sexual." Still, she said certain moments "were in poor taste."
Victoria claimed the two hadn't been in touch. They've seen each other in a couple of virtual and in-person "Zoey 101" reunions, but except for the occasional birthday text, they do not speak.
The actress admitted that she has complicated feelings toward Dan. "I'm not condoning any of his behavior," she stated. "At the end of the day, my relationship with Dan is a very complex one: I met him when I was 12 years old, and he's the person that gave me this big break. He completely changed my life. Most likely I wouldn't be here where I am today if it weren't for him, and for him seeing something in me."
"For that I will always be grateful," the singer further elaborated. "After watching his apology, I think he recognizes that he did a lot of things wrong, and I think if he could step back into a time machine, he would do a lot of things differently."
Dan has issued an apology after being accused of sexism, racism, and inappropriate workplace behavior in the new documentary "Quiet on Set". In a video posted to his YouTube channel, he acknowledged that he "could see the hurt in some people's eyes" when watching the documentary.
Dan stated that he "definitely owes some people a pretty strong apology," adding that he wishes he could go back in time and "never, ever feel like it was okay to be an a**hole to anyone."
He also responded to the abuse committed by dialogue coach Brian Peck. "I did not hire Brian Peck," he said at the time. "When Drake and I talked and he told me what had happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened in my career thus far."
