In a TikTok shared on Thursday, Nickelodeon‘s Amanda Present alum Raquel Lee Bolleau, who was featured in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Darkish Aspect of TV, says she was left disillusioned by her expertise with the docuseries about poisonous units on the youngsters TV community.
The doc’s administrators, Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, had been just lately joined by contributors Drake Bell, Giovannie Samuels, Bryan Christopher Hearne and co-executive producer Kate Taylor, for a panel dialog for an Emmys FYC occasion, moderated by Scaachi Koul, that explored the impression of what has turn out to be successful docuseries for ID and streamer Max. The five-part sequence outlined allegations of abuse, sexism, racism and inappropriate conduct involving underage stars and crewmembers on Nickelodeon TV present units run by Dan Schneider.
“Do you suppose they invited me?” requested the previous little one star in her video, referencing the Los Angeles occasion.
Bolleau continued (watch, beneath), “Let me let you know what my drawback is with this trade: Quiet on Set did the identical factor the trade at all times does—they get what they need from you after which they’re completed. By no means did they suppose that I’d need to be a part of a dialogue like that.”
She stated such remedy has been “a really troublesome factor” for her to face, citing previous wounds from her expertise as a baby actor. “This trade has completed nothing however damage me, left and proper, since I used to be a baby,” Bolleau stated.
One other Quiet on Set participant, Marc Summers, former host of Double Dare, just lately stated he walked off the docuseries set. “They ambushed me,” he claimed. “They by no means instructed me what this documentary was actually about. And so, they confirmed me a video of one thing that I couldn’t consider was on Nickelodeon and I stated, ‘Whoah, let’s cease the tape proper right here. What are we doing?’”
The co-directors stated in response by way of a press release to The Hollywood Reporter, “We’re clear with every participant concerning the nature of our initiatives.”
In her video, Bolleau additionally claimed the administrators didn’t inform her what the documentary would really be centered on. “Initially, you don’t even inform me what kind of documentary I’m going to be part of,” she stated. “You by no means questioned whether or not or not that is going to be triggering for me.”
It’s value noting that generally, in investigative reporting, reporters uncover the precise nature of the story whereas reporting. Nonetheless, numerous allegations towards Schneider have been public since 2018 and govt producer and Enterprise Insider reporter Kate Taylor had revealed an in-depth investigative story on Schneider in August 2022.
Bolleau continued, “Quantity two, it comes out and also you inform me, ‘Oh, you’re going to be on episodes primary and quantity 4. And then you definately name me the day that the fifth episode goes to come back out and also you say, ‘Hey, by the best way, simply to let you realize, you’re additionally within the fifth episode.’ However you additionally forgot to say, ‘Oh and we’re additionally going to be having a panel dialogue to speak about the place you might be immediately and the way we will transfer ahead.’ You need me to share my story however you don’t need to contain me within the precise narrative of change?”
THR has reached again out to Robertson and Schwartz and ID for remark.
Following the success of the two-night, 4 half sequence, ID greenlit a bonus fifth episode, Breaking the Silence, that launched April 7.
“There was a variable deluge of dialog all throughout social media and that’s as a result of Quiet on Set is a part of one thing a lot larger than itself, an actual motion for change,” Jason Sarlanis, president of TNT, TBS, TruTV, ID & HLN, linear and streaming, just lately instructed THR concerning the docuseries. “It has turn out to be extremely clear that as an trade in the case of kids and leisure, we merely should do higher.”
Final month, former Amanda Present author Jenny Kilgen, who can be featured within the doc, wrote an open letter to SAG-AFTRA, urging them to “take motion to provoke and institute sturdy little one security protocols to guard younger actors.” She additionally expressed help for state and federal laws, one thing Robertson and Schwartz have beforehand instructed THR was an space they hoped to see change after the success of the doc. The actors union has since responded by outlining the processes they’ve in place.