Current:Home > Markets'All That' star Lori Beth Denberg alleges Dan Schneider 'preyed on' her -CapitalWay
'All That' star Lori Beth Denberg alleges Dan Schneider 'preyed on' her
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:24:03
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.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
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
veryGood! (4283)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Pirates of the Caribbean Actor Tamayo Perry Dead at 49 After Shark Attack in Hawaii
- Maximalist Jewelry Is Having a Moment—Here’s How to Style the Trendy Statement Pieces We’re Obsessed With
- Lawsuit challenges new Louisiana law requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Tinx's Favorite Beauty Products Are So Easy To Use, Even if You’re Bad at Makeup
- As a Longwall Coal Mine Grows Beneath an Alabama Town, Neighbors of an Explosion Victim Feel Undermined and Unheard
- Sean Penn is 'thrilled' to be single following 3 failed marriages: 'I'm just free'
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Chicago woman missing in Bahamas after going for yoga certification retreat, police say
Ranking
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Man accused of threatening lives of presidential candidates goes to trial
- Olympic champion Athing Mu’s appeal denied after tumble at US track trials
- Oklahoma Supreme Court rules publicly funded religious charter school is unconstitutional
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s Daughter Suri Drops Last Name for High School Graduation
- Better late than never: teach your kids good financial lessons
- NHRA legend John Force remains hospitalized in Virginia following fiery crash
Recommendation
Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
Are we ready to face an asteroid that could hit Earth in 14 years? NASA sees work to do.
Infant mortality rate rose following Texas abortion ban, study shows
Disputed verdict draws both sides back to court in New Hampshire youth detention center abuse case
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Will Smith will make his musical comeback with 2024 BET Awards performance
This week’s televised debate is crucial for Biden and Trump — and for CNN as well
Trump Media rebounds after Trump hush money verdict spooked DJT shares