Current:Home > Invest'All That' star Lori Beth Denberg alleges Dan Schneider 'preyed on' her-LoTradeCoin
'All That' star Lori Beth Denberg alleges Dan Schneider 'preyed on' her
View Date:2024-12-23 23:19:00
Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider is facing new allegations of inappropriate behavior, this time from "All That" alum Lori Beth Denberg.
In an interview with Business Insider published Tuesday, Denberg alleged that she had a "weird, abusive friendship" with Schneider while working on "All That," which she now views as inappropriate given the power imbalance between the two. Schneider was a producer on the sketch comedy show, which the actress starred on from 1994 to 1998 after being cast when she was 17.
Denberg alleged that starting when she was around 19, Schneider began discussing sexual topics with her over the phone and once initiated phone sex. She and Schneider would also give each other massages when she spent evenings at his home, she said, and one night when she was 20 or 21, he allegedly fondled and put his mouth on her breasts.
USA TODAY has reached out to Nickelodeon for comment. The network cut ties with Schneider in 2018.
Lori Beth Denberg alleges Dan Schneider showed her pornography multiple times, 'preyed on me'
Denberg also told Business Insider that Schneider lashed out at her on the set of "All That" and showed her pornography multiple times, including playing a clip in his office of a woman performing oral sex on a donkey. "I feel like that is the first time he preyed on me," she said.
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Denberg's comments follow the Investigation Discovery documentary "Quiet on Set," which delved into allegations of abusive behavior behind the scenes of Nickelodeon shows, and the interview was conducted by Kate Taylor, a reporter who was an executive producer on the series and appeared in it as a talking head.
Who is Dan Schneider?The Nickelodeon 'golden boy' accused of abusive behavior in new doc
Lori Beth Denberg alleges she voiced concerns to Nickelodeon about Dan Schneider's behavior
Additionally, Denberg told Business Insider that she voiced concerns around 2000 to the then-president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, Albie Hecht, and "All That" co-creator Brian Robbins over how Amanda Bynes was treated by Schneider after noticing she looked "gaunt."
After doing so, Denberg was allegedly barred from the set of "The Amanda Show." Bynes did not participate in "Quiet on Set."
Dan Schneider says Lori Beth Denberg's accusations are 'wildly exaggerated'
In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Schneider said Tuesday that Denberg's allegations are "wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false."
"The fact that an Executive Producer of 'Quiet on Set' would pursue allegations regarding what may have happened between adults nearly thirty years ago — only a week after I filed a defamation lawsuit accusing 'Quiet on Set' of being intentionally false and misleading — seems more than coincidental," he added.
"As I have previously stated, there were times, particularly in the early years of my career, that I made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader. If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do."
Dan Schneidersues 'Quiet on Set' producers for defamation, calls docuseries 'a hit job'
New accusations against Dan Schneider come after 'Quiet on Set' release
In "Quiet on Set," Schneider faced allegations of inappropriate behavior on the set of his Nickelodeon shows, including asking employees for massages, showing staffers pornography, and creating an overall toxic workplace. In March, he released a video admitting he "definitely at times didn't give people the best of me" and was sometimes "straight up rude and obnoxious."
But earlier this month, Schneider sued the producers of "Quiet on Set" for defamation, alleging the "hit job" documentary falsely implied that he "sexually abused the children who worked on his television shows."
In addition to Schneider, the documentary also delved into allegations against convicted sex offenders.
"While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself," Schneider's complaint said. "Defendants have destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
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