Ariana Grande: Nickelodeon Clip Goes Viral As Fans Say She Was Sexualised As A Teen Star
Fans have accused Nickelodeon and TV producer Dan Schneider of "sexualising" and "infantilising" Ariana Grande as a teen star, in response to the release of her former co-star Jennette McCurdy's new memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died.
As well as opening up about the childhood abuse she suffered at the hands of her late mother, Jennette spoke of her time on Nickelodeon shows iCarly and Sam & Cat – the latter of which also starred Ariana.
The actor recounted various incidents of feeling uncomfortable while on set with someone she refers to as 'The Creator', which many have assumed is a moniker for famed producer Dan Schneider, who produced the shows for Nickelodeon.
Jennette also responded to rumoured drama between herself and Ariana, denying the fact but admitting that she did sometimes feel frustrated and jealous towards her co-star.
In response, many fans have shown support for both Jennette and Ariana, claiming that Ariana was also subject to inappropriate behaviour while starring on Nickelodeon's Victorious as Cat Valentine (prior to its spin-off, Sam & Cat).
A viral tweet shares a video compilation featuring Ariana Grande as Cat on The Slap, Nickelodeon's former website. It used to publish exclusive videos of the network's best-loved characters away from their shows – Ariana's segment was called Cat's Random Thoughts.
The compilation shows the 16-year-old Ariana in a number of scenarios, including her sucking her toe, pouring water on herself and trying to "juice a potato".
The tweet reads: "Everyone keeps bringing Ariana Grande for stan drama against Jennette and I don’t know why. Let’s not forget, Ariana is a victim herself from the creepiness of Dan Schneider. This is why she doesn’t talk about the role of Cat Valentine anymore. They sexualised and infantilised her.”
Many others chimed in with other examples from the show they felt were "uncomfortable". Another responded: “Instead of harassing Ariana or Jennette, we should be shouting at the top of our lungs about the child abuse that goes on at Nickelodeon, Disney, and other networks that have a lot of child actors. There are too many similar stories. The industry needs to change.”
Ariana has never spoken about any experiences of misconduct during her time with Nickelodeon. In 2020, she joined Dan Schneider and her former Victorious castmates for a Zoom reunion to mark the 10 year anniversary of the show, writing on Instagram: "I’m sorry for the mushiness but…. jus want to say how grateful i will always be for being on this show and for those years of my life. I couldn’t have spent my teenage years with a better, more funny, talented group of human beings."
Dan Schneider parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018, and is subject to a number of internet theories that question his behaviour regarding the young actors he worked with on Victorious as well as others such as The Amanda Show and iCarly. In a 2021 interview with the New York Times, he described the accusations as "ridiculous," and that the comedy on each series was "totally innocent".
The New York Times reported that a ViacomCBS investigation into Schneider's behaviour found no evidence of sexual misconduct, but that former employees had found him to be "verbally abusive".
The producer responded: "I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t have the long-term friendships and continued loyalty from so many reputable people if I’d mistreated my actors of any age, especially minors." He added that if he was perceived as "difficult", it was because he has “high standards".
GLAMOUR has reached out to representatives for Ariana Grande and Nickelodeon for comment, and will update this article with any response.
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