Ariana Grande Uncomfortably Reflects on Nickelodeon's 'Victorious' and Advocates for 'Therapy Multiple Times a Week'

Ariana Grande is carefully addressing the Nickelodeon scandal with Dan Schneider, whom she worked with before her music career took off.

The singer -- who appeared on hit shows Victorious and Sam & Cat -- is asked about the scandal that was the subject of the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She's previously shared that looking back on clips from her time at the network, she was "shocked" by the sexual innuendos made.

Grande, now 31, believes that "protective measures" need to be in place on set. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Grande "appears uncomfortable" when asked if she ever felt "unsafe" during her time at Nickelodeon and side-stepped the question. She did advocate for therapy for those getting into the entertainment industry.

"I have dreams of a world where you're not allowed to enter the entertainment industry without having it written in your contract, whether it's with the record label or the production company, that there will be therapy multiple times a week and a support system," Grande said.

"Being on a show that changes your life or releasing a song that changes your life exposes you to many forces, both love and hate, and there is no manual," she adds.

As the creator and producer of hit shows like iCarly, Victorious, Drake & Josh and Zoey 101, Schneider was long considered a driving force behind the network's success. However, concerns about his behavior, work environment and treatment of young actors have persisted for years.

Some allegations pointed to verbal abuse, excessive control over child actors and inappropriate behavior on set. Additionally, in Quiet on Set fans and former employees raised concerns about the frequent inclusion of questionable content in his shows, particularly scenes featuring young actors in potentially exploitative or uncomfortable situations—such as an unusual focus on feet.

In 2018, Schneider abruptly left Nickelodeon following an internal investigation by ViacomCBS. While the official statement cited a mutual decision to part ways, reports suggested that growing concerns over his workplace conduct played a role.

During her new interview, Grande also addressed the social media take on her relationship with Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo -- particularly the fan fiction involving their characters Glinda and Elphaba.

"I wish I could unsee some things. I mean, wow, I had a feeling, but I didn't know it would be on this scale or this graphic," Grande said.

Back in November, the singer hinted that her Wicked character, Glinda, might be gay.

"Glinda might be a little in the closet. You never know, give it a little time," she said in an interview with the Gay Times.

Erivo seemed to add fuel to the rumors of Glinda being potentially gay by saying: "Yeah, you never know."

Wicked has not always had an easy run at the box office due to its LGBT cast and was even banned in Kuwait. A report from Variety shared that the removal of the movie from theaters was speculated to be over cast members being part of the LGBT community.

Erivo is notably in relationship with fellow woman. She has been with her partner Lena Waithe since 2020. The movie also stars Jonathan Bailey who came out as gay in 2018.

Grande and Wicked have been two of the biggest success of 2024. She is currently nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie and Wicked has gone on to be one of the biggest films of the last year, grossing over $700 million against a budget of $150 million worldwide. The film itself is nominated for Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars.

Tags

Ariana Grande, Nickelodeon, Music