Nickelodeon's Biggest Scandals Ever

Nickelodeon was the epitome of childhood and adolescent entertainment, especially for millennials and zoomers. "The First Kids' Network" was responsible for classics including "All That," "Kenan & Kel," "The Amanda Show," and later "Drake & Josh," "Zoey 101," and "iCarly," just to name a few. Nick launched the careers of numerous young actors and gave us countless classic cartoons, from "Rugrats" to "Spongebob Squarepants." What kid didn't dream of being the victim of a good pie-ing and green-goo sliming on "Slime Time Live"? But despite its prominence in our childhood nostalgia, the kids' network hasn't always kept a slime-free slate, so to speak.

While Nickelodeon had the reputation for being edgier than other kids' networks like the Disney Channel (pushing boundaries with series like "The Ren & Stimpy Show" and "Rocko's Modern Life") there were still times when the network and its staff crossed the line a little too far and landed in controversy. We'll take a closer look at some of Nickelodeon's biggest scandals ever.

Following the foot fetish controversy, as well as workplace misconduct allegations, ViacomCBS (the parent company of Nickelodeon) officially investigated Dan Schneider, who has often been referred to as "Nickelodeon's biggest hitmaker." According to The New York Times, "The review found no evidence of sexual misconduct by Schneider ... but it did find he could be verbally abusive to people he worked with." A few co-workers additionally told the outlet that "they felt uncomfortable when he frequently asked an employee from the costume department for shoulder and neck massages, or texted child actors outside of work hours."

Schneider avoided talking directly about the investigation, but chalked his leadership style up to his "high standards." He also said, "I couldn't, and I wouldn't have the long-term friendships and continued loyalty from so many reputable people if I'd mistreated my actors of any age, especially minors." 

Still, Schneider left the network shortly after the 2018 investigation. The joint statement issued by Schneider and Nick indicated the decision was mutual, and Schneider later told The New York Times that his departure was because he "took a break to take care of a lot of stuff that [he'd] let go by the wayside." At the time of his network exit, however, Deadline Co-Editor-in-Chief Nellie Andreeva reported that in addition to swirling misconduct allegations, Schneider had long been at odds with Nick executives over creative issues. It wasn't all bad for Schneider though, as Page Six claimed he got a "7 million dollar payout to leave." 

John Kricfalusi, the man behind the Nickelodeon cult classic cartoon, "The Ren & Stimpy Show," is now linked to serious accusations of predatory behavior. He allegedly took advantage of two "Ren & Stimpy" fans in the '90s who were aspiring animators. Speaking with BuzzFeed News in 2018, the alleged victims, Robyn Byrd and Katie Rice, recalled their unsettling interactions with Kricfalusi when they were only teenagers.

Byrd says she reached out to Kricfalusi in 1994 when she was 13 years old. Kricfalusi, who was 39 at the time, began communicating with her and eventually began a sexual relationship with her when she was 16. Byrd says she was then coaxed into a long relationship under the guise of a mentorship. Associates of both Byrd and Kricfalusi also claimed to BuzzFeed that he routinely took lewd photos of Byrd and shared them with others without her consent or knowledge. "He ruined a good bit of my childhood and my early adulthood, gave me PTSD, and forced me to change careers," Byrd told the outlet. 

Rice claims she suffered sexual harassment from Kricfalusi for years. Like Byrd, she stared communicating with Kricfalusi in writing as a teen, before becoming his collaborator. Although they never had physical sexual contact, Rice claims Kricfalusi repeatedly attempted to cross that line with her. "I became a better artist by working for him ... I'm not grateful for it. I wish I hadn't. I wish I were a worse artist now and I didn't have all this bullsh*t to deal with." 

Kricfalusi was no longer at Nickelodeon during the timeframe of Rice and Byrd's accusations, but when the BuzzFeed story broke, Nickelodeon still declined comment on it to both BuzzFeed and many other outlets. 

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Actor Brian Peck, known for his role in "The Return of the Living Dead," worked on several Nickelodeon shows in the late '90s and early 2000s, including making appearances in sketches and working as the dialogue coach on the set of "All That" and "The Amanda Show." He was also apparently a vital part of the "All That" boot camp with Dan Schneider. According to the Daily Mail, he was convicted of "a lewd act against a child and oral copulation of a person under 16" in 2004 and is now a registered sex offender.

The underage victim, who was reportedly a Nickelodeon star at the time, was only named as John Doe in the case "for fear of it having a negative affect on his career." Nickelodeon has never made an official statement in response to the controversy, and when the Daily Mail asked Peck directly if "he was sorry to the actor he abused" he responded, "I don't have any comment on it, I really don't." 

Shockingly, Peck returned to work on a kids' show after serving 16 months in jail (not at Nickelodeon but his post-conviction credits do include "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" on the Disney channel). 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Jennette McCurdy played Sam Puckett on Nickelodeon's "iCarly" and later on the spin-off "Sam & Cat" alongside Ariana Grande. In March 2014, lingerie selfies of the actress were leaked online. To some, the leaked photos were scandalous, as is often the case when a child star does something that reveals they are actually an adult (McCurdy was 21 years old at the time).

The next month, McCurdy skipped the Kids' Choice Awards, spurning speculation that the photos caused a rift between her and Nickelodeon. She explained her absence on Twitter (via The Washington Post), denying the photos played a role, but rather, that she "was put in an uncomfortable, compromising, unfair situation" by Nickelodeon, and that she "chose to not go because sticking up for what is right and what is fair is what [her] mom taught [her] is ALWAYS the most important thing."

Nickelodeon didn't respond, but the drama rolled on from there, including an alleged salary feud between Grande and McCurdy (which Grande denied). "Sam & Cat" ended up axed after just one season. Grande was effusive about the whole situation, but McCurdy had ... thoughts, posting on Reddit (via The Hollywood Reporter) that she "left Nickelodeon" in order "to move forward with [her] life." She further explained: "To remove myself from the role model battle, the falsified standard set by the bubblegum industry, is — in my eyes — to remove myself from the counterintuitive battle of attempting to be something perfect while being glaringly aware of my imperfections."

Angelique Bates was one of the original cast members of Nickelodeon's sketch comedy show for kids, "All That." In 2016, she spoke to The Shade Room and opened up about her experience on set, discussing how she was abused in front of producers who did nothing to help. Without naming her abuser, Bates explained, "I was only 12 years old and that's when my nightmare began. I was physically, mentally, emotionally abused in front of the producers and cast members and sometimes they could even hear me yelling, but nothing was done to help me." The following year, she tweeted more allegations of physical abuse she endured, of which she said the network "knew." 

The details of Bates' allegations remain unclear, though The Shade Room suggested that Bates experienced abuse "at the hands of her mother" before the publication released an exclusive statement from her mother, D. Bates, noting that she, "doesn't come out saying she was the one who actually abused Angelique." The statement from D. Bates seemingly placed blame on Nickelodeon and "All That" producers, claiming, "The viewers were unwittingly and unknowingly my witnesses and Angelique's witnesses to Nickelodeon's and the Producers of All That's own 'unlawful' punishment/ psychological abuse of Angelique, a minor, which appears to have been retaliation on the part of Nickelodeon and the Producers of All That for a conversation in which I was involved with the California Child Labor Department."

According to Angelique Bates, Child Protective Services did show up in 1996, but she said the adults on set "pressured" her to "stay silent." Her mother claimed, "Nickelodeon and the Producers of 'All That' only contacted CPS after the Police became involved," adding that it was merely "an attempt to cover their own butts."

In a video for Inner Warrior, Bates explained that she "was pretty much released from [her] contract" at age 15 and claims she was then rejected from the entertainment industry due to her past. "When I was a child star dealing with aspects of the child abuse," she said, "It pretty much affected the workplace which later affected my adulthood because I was blackballed."

Nickelodeon has never come forward with an official response to the accusations.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Child stars don't always have the easiest time transitioning to adult life in the spotlight and Nickelodeon stars are no exception. Several Nick stars have been involved with scandals after their time with the network ended, including Amanda Bynes, the actress who once had the starring role in her own Nickelodeon sketch comedy show, "The Amanda Show."

In 2010, Bynes abruptly announced on Twitter that she was retiring from acting. In 2012, Bynes made headlines concerning a series of driving-related legal issues, including DUIs and a couple of hit-and-runs. Then, in 2013, she was "held at a hospital for mental evaluation after setting a small fire" in an L.A. neighborhood, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She also received a lot of negative attention for her Twitter account during this time.

After disappearing from the public eye for several years, Bynes sat down with Paper in 2018 and explained that her behavior during those years was from drug use. "The mixture of marijuana and whatever other drugs and sometimes drinking really messed up my brain," she said, adding, "It really made me a completely different person. I actually am a nice person. I would never feel, say or do any of the things that I did and said to the people I hurt on Twitter." 

As of April 2021, Bynes's lawyer told People that she "was doing great" and that "she lives by the beach, attends school and is enjoying meditation and Soul Cycle classes." 

In "Zoey 101," Nickelodeon's series about tweens and teens at a boarding school in California, Matthew Underwood portrayed Logan Reese, a bratty classmate of the main character, Zoey, played by Jamie Lynn Spears.

Underwood managed to mostly stay out of the limelight as a teen, but in 2012, the former Nickelodeon star made headlines after he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of "suspicion of cannabis and paraphernalia possession and contributing to the delinquency of a minor" in Florida (via E!). According to the report, Underwood, who was 22 at the time, was found in the bedroom of his home with a 17-year-old girl after police entered with a "narcotics search warrant." The officers found he possessed marijuana, and claimed that the girl admitted that Underwood "[gave] her marijuana" hence the "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" charge.

Underwood, however, later disputed that claim by police, telling TC Palm that the girl, who he identified as his girlfriend "definitely doesn't smoke marijuana in my home." He also asserted that the police only targeted him because he was on the cusp of opening his local hookah lounge, and his high-profile arrest would put the kibosh on the business, which he claimed encountered lots of local government opposition. A Port St. Lucie police spokesman denied the assertion. 

But it's not all bad headlines for the former TeenNick star. In 2017, he garnered attention after he heroically saved a baby from a car crash.

When Nickelodeon's hit animated show, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" was adapted into a live-action film in 2010, produced by Nickelodeon Movies and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, many fans had a problem with the casting. The Asian-inspired characters were cast with mostly white actors, which spurned fan protests and accusations of "whitewashing" the story. 

Guy Aoki, the leader of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, told CBC, "It speaks volumes when the initial casting decision was to cast four white leads ... For them to be comfortable with that ... it's embarrassing, it says a lot about their attitudes." The same outlet quoted the parent of an 8-year-old Asian child who said that the Nickelodeon and Paramount filmmakers "seem to have no clue that there's this huge fan base of young Asian-Americans who were delighted to see themselves on screen" in the original show, and who would have also enjoyed having the same experience with a film that "could have really been groundbreaking."

Though the movie is the third highest grossing Nickelodeon film ever, it was met with unfavorable reviews and has an unimpressive 5% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Shyamalan dismissed the criticism, UGO's Jordan Hoffman, "It is the most culturally diverse tent-pole movie ever made. And I'm proud of it." The creators of yet another "Airbender" adaptation, this time for Netflix, seemed to disagree, telling IndieWire in 2018, "We can't wait to realize Aang's world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast." 

Stunt performers are known for being tough, but they aren't entirely immune to injury. In fact, physical injury is just part of the job when you're the one who has to take the actual kicks and punches. However, stunt performer injuries are most definitely not supposed to happen because of human error. 

That's exactly what a stunt professional named Katina Waters claimed in 2014, when things got a little serious on the set of the otherwise silly sitcom "iCarly." According to TMZ, Waters "claim[ed] the production ruined her career by recklessly dropping her from high above the ground ... causing gruesome injuries." She sued both series creator Dan Schneider's production company and Nickelodeon for unspecified damages regarding her "pain, suffering and loss of earnings." 

It's unclear whether or not she won the lawsuit, but thankfully, Waters' injuries didn't seem to have actually "ruined her career." According to IMDb, Waters continued to work pretty steadily after "iCarly," most notably on "American Horror Story" and the Netflix hit "Bird Box." 

When Nickelodeon's preschool network, Nick Jr., released a trailer for its animated series, "Made by Maddie," the internet wasn't impressed. In fact, many people got pretty upset. The reason for their anger: the series looked a whole lot like the 2019 Oscar-winning short film, "Hair Love." Visually, the characters in "Made by Maddie" looked almost identical to the characters in "Hair Love," even the pet cat.

Many disappointed fans of the Matthew A. Cherry short film took to Twitter to express their disappointment in Nickelodeon's apparent plagiarism. One user wrote, "@Nickjr We don't support plagiarism. YOU DIDN'T DREAM THIS OR DRAW IT. #BlackCreatorsMatter You thought you were going to steal from #MatthewCherry right in our faces & we weren't going to say anything??! #NickJr there's nothing new abt stealing Black labor to turn a profit."

Nickelodeon was further criticized because the creator of the show, which told the story of a Black family, was white.

Amidst the criticism, Nickelodeon pulled the show and released the following statement (per The Hollywood Reporter): "In response, and out of respect to all voices in the conversation, we are removing the show from our schedule as we garner further insight into the creative journey of the show. We are grateful to Silvergate Media for all of their work. And we hold Matthew A. Cherry and the wonderful and inspiring Hair Love in the highest regard."