Ariana Grande spoke out about her experience on Nickelodeon as a child star during Wednesday’s episode of Penn Badgley’s “Podcrushed.”
The famous singer voiced her support for the alleged victims that have come forward with claims of sexual assault and inappropriate experiences on set and said it has been “devastating” to hear from the “survivors.” She alluded to the docuseries, “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” which put a spotlight on claims of abuse and sexual harassment by those in power at the network, including Dan Schneider, the creator of the shows Grande starred in.
“I’m still, in real time, reprocessing my relationship to it,” Grande said on the podcast.
Grande catapulted to fame on Nickelodeon shows, “Victorious” and “Sam & Cat,” but now that she’s had a chance to reflect on her experiences, she admits things could have been done differently.
Looking back at the content produced on “Victorious,” Grande said, “And, the innuendos …we were told, and convinced as well, that it was the cool differentiation. And, I don’t know, I think it all just happened so quickly and now looking back on some of the clips I’m like, that’s … damn, really? Oh shit,” she said.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Ariana Grande attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
She admitted “Victorious” produced content that “pushed the envelope” with the humor and seemed to question some of her previous work.
Grande had some ideas about improvements that could be made in the industry, moving forward.
“I think the environment needs to be made safer if kids are going to be acting, and I think there should be therapists,” she said on the show. (RELATED: Nickelodeon Star Matthew Underwood Comes Forward With Sexual Assault Allegations)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 02: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE) Ariana Grande performs onstage during the 2018 iHeartRadio by AT&T at Banc of California Stadium on June 2, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
“I think parents should be allowed to be wherever they want to be, and I think not only on kids’ sets. If anyone wants to do this, or music, or anything at this level of exposure, there should be in the contract something about therapy is mandatory twice a week or thrice a week, or something like that,” Grande said.
Schneider went on to sue for defamation over how he was portrayed in “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV.”
