Secret scandal: Did Dan Schneider abuse young Amanda Bynes?

The Hollywood rumor mill stops for no one, but sometimes it snags on an uncomfortable truth. In this case, the Nickelodeon of every’s childhood memories might’ve been a dangerous place for people like a young Amanda Bynes.

Nowadays, more & more people believe producer Dan Schneider was the cause of said danger. Videos have emerged of him allegedly causing discomfort on the set of Victorious. Older fans have even pointed out seemingly inappropriate content years later – like his weird obsession with feet.

While nothing has been outright scandalous, it raised suspicions. Then, ViacomCBS released a report studying allegations of Scheider fostering a toxic work environment around the young actors. If true, he might’ve extended these insidious intentions toward Amanda Bynes when she was young.

Go-to guy

Most recognize the name Schneider through his work with Nickelodeon. He was the big name behind some of their most popular shows including The Amanda Show & Victorious. If the kids loved it, it most likely had Schneider at the helm.

It’s unclear whether Schneider discovered Amanda Bynes when she was young. The mastermind who decided she needed to be on camera has only been referred to as “a Nickelodeon producer.” It’s difficult for anyone trying to establish a timeline of their working relationship.

However, it’s important to note Bynes was discovered at the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp. Schneider was among many known to frequent this location while scouting for talent. He was never confirmed to have been the elusive Nickelodeon producer, but the silence around their meeting does raise eyebrows.

It’s getting weird

Despite their sketchy beginnings, Amanda Bynes-centered content was never suggestive. The young star was allowed to showcase her comedic timing & star power. It helped that the material was made for her rather than potential pervs in the audience.

In 2010, things took a turn for the risqué with shows like Victorious. The Ariana Grande-led hit show was a hit among younger viewers. No wonder scenes like Cat Valentine (Grande) trying to drink water upside down flew under the radar for so long.

It was all a little sus and this was before the weird obsession with feet became a thing. Seriously, there have been so many foot scenes in Nickelodeon shows. So much so, Schneider has had to defend the use against allegations of having a fetish. A young Amanda Bynes might not have had her feet exposed, but she wasn’t exactly protected either.

Allegations

In fact, it seems like none of the child stars were protected when it came to Schneider. It was no secret he liked to buddy up to child stars on the sets of his shows. To many, he was just making nice with his employees. At worst, he came off like a try-hard.

Videos have been released of him hanging around and being very friendly. There’s nothing wrong with his presence until one pays attention to how it made the young stars react. It calls his work with young stars like Amanda Bynes into question.

In 2021, ViacomCBS released a report after finally investigating allegations against Schneider. He was accused of throwing tantrums on set and sending angry messages to child stars outside of work. He was also accused of getting handsy with those same stars.

Potential victim

Many videos have been released showing a darker side to Schneider. One video showed Grande reacting uncomfortably to him even showing up on set. Then there’s the video of him fully clothed while sitting in a hot tub with a young, bikini-clad Amanda Bynes.

This neither confirms nor denies whether he abused her. It does, however, call into question if their relationship had anything to do with her later mental health & substance abuse issues. It certainly doesn’t look good on his part.

On a good day, Hollywood is a place full of wonder, hope, and brightly shining stars. On a not-so-good day, though, it’s a cesspool of abusers and people making excuses for them. The difference is in the people willing to shine a light on bad people even when they produce great content.