Jaleel White, Raven-Symoné and Other Black Actors React to ‘Quiet on Set’s’ Devastating Child Abuse Revelations

ID’s shocking docuseries, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world.

It chronicles the alleged toxic and abusive environment at Nickelodeon during Dan Schneider’s tenure. In addition to former cast and crew alleging that the producer engaged in mentally abusive and inappropriate behavior, “Drake & Josh” star Drake Bell revealed that he was sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck.

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The bombshell series has led many fans to question what really went on behind the scenes of their favorite kids and teen programming. We’ve also seen some of the industry’s most famous Black child actors react to the project and offer their thoughts on their own experiences.

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Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne

Following the initial airing of “Quiet on Set,” Schneider released an apology video. Among the biggest critics of his so-called mea culpa were former “All That” cast members Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne, who addressed the apology in an episode of the docuseries.

Dan Schneider talks about Quiet on Set

“The thing about his interview as a whole is, I thought it was funny. If I could be candid, Dan was an actor before all of this,” Hearne said. “And so I think that he brushed off some chops and gave us a nice performance.”

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In the clip, which is more of an interview than a straight-forward apology, Schneider spends a lot of time explaining himself and his actions. He expresses regret that people didn’t like working with him and that he made young actors and other crew members uncomfortable. He does say the words “I’m sorry” a few times, but it all sounds very disingenuous.

Schneider also addressed complaints about how Black actors were treated on his shows. Samuels and Hearne described their experience as feeling “overlooked.” In response to their concerns, Schneider discussed how he helped establish the careers of Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, even building his first film around them. Samuels and Hearne never came up.

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“My gripe with the way that question is answered is that the question itself was posed to him about us. It was about us,” Hearne explained. “He said, ‘Oh, I jumpstarted the careers of Kenan and Kel.’ So they talked about us being overlooked, and then he overlooked us in his answer. What do you do with that?”

“It was very evident from the first day: it was just the two of us,” Samuels added. “That’s usually the first thing you do in a Black space or as a Black person or a person of color: you count who’s in the room, in front and behind the camera. And there were two.”

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Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson Reflects on “Quiet on Set” Doc

Thompson responded to the docuseries during a recent appearance on“Tamron Hall Show.” The “SNL” vet explained that he wasn’t involved in “Quiet on Set” because many of the allegations in the series took place after he moved on from Nickelodeon. Considering how pivotal that time was in his life and career, Thompson got emotional as he expressed a deep sadness for all the pain his co-stars and colleagues had suffered.

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“I think it’s a good thing that the doc is out and is putting things on display—stories that need to be told for accountability sake,” Thompson said. “But it’s definitely tough to watch because I have fond memories of that place. And I have fond memories of my co-stars, so, to hear that they’ve gone through terrible things like that, it’s just, it’s really tough.”

Jaleel White

With so much attention on the treatment of child actors, one of the biggest child stars of the last 30 years is speaking out about his experience. “Family Matters’” Jaleel White counts himself “lucky,” explaining that he “always felt safe and protected on set.”

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“Child actors are having a moment where some of the harsher realities of our business are coming to light,” White told “TODAY.”

He credits his mother, who was also his manager, with keeping him safe and healthy during his time in the spotlight.

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“She wasn’t perfect but she did enough to protect me from some of the obvious trappings in the business,” he said. “For one thing, she was a helicopter mom. She was all over my ass because the kids that are left alone are the ones that the predators tend to seek out.”

Raven-Symoné and Chris Massey

Meanwhile, on a recent episode of the “Tea Time w/ Raven-Symoné & Miranda” podcast. “Zoey 101” actor Chris Massey and Raven reacted to the doc and discussed their lives as young stars. They went into detail about the pitfalls all child actors face and noted how the rules can vary from one set to another.

Chris Massey on Dan Schneider… | Tea Time w/ Raven-Symoné & Miranda

Considering how far-reaching the reactions to the docuseries have been, it’s likely this fallout will continue to ripple through the industry.

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“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” is available to stream on Max.

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