Keke Palmer’s mother, Sharon Palmer, recently discussed her unsettling experiences on Nickelodeon sets led by Dan Schneider during an episode of her daughter’s podcast, “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” on Tuesday, August 6. Sharon shared her impressions from the time Keke starred in True Jackson, VP from 2008 to 2011, although Schneider was not directly involved with that show.
At the time, Schneider was working on other Nickelodeon shows like Zoey 101, iCarly, and Victorious. Sharon described the atmosphere on those sets as “very weird” and “cultish,” noting that parents associated with the shows seemed overly secretive and took themselves too seriously.
Dan Schneider left Nickelodeon in 2018 following allegations of inappropriate behavior. A docuseries titled Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV aired in March, which explored these claims. Schneider later apologized for his behavior in a YouTube interview, though he also filed a defamation lawsuit against the show’s producers in May.
In her podcast, Sharon also mentioned a pervasive sense of insecurity on the sets, with frequent concerns about show cancellations and constant anxiety about the future of the projects.
Sharon Palmer has expressed the belief that Nickelodeon was not the primary factor in her daughter Keke Palmer’s success. Keke, who began her film career in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), has since won various awards for her achievements in acting, TV hosting, and singing. These accolades include two Emmys for her roles in Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up with the Taylors and her work on Password.
Sharon stated, “I always viewed your time at Nickelodeon as just one stop in your career. You didn’t start with Nickelodeon or Disney. You were fortunate to gain experience in both adult and children’s programming. To me, Disney Channel or Nickelodeon weren’t the be-all and end-all of the entertainment industry, though many parents might have thought otherwise.”
Dan Schneider’s recent lawsuit, as reported by Us Weekly on May 1, seeks damages for damage to his reputation, harassment following the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, emotional distress, and loss of financial and career opportunities.
The docuseries featured testimonies from former Nickelodeon employees who described negative experiences working with Schneider. Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen, writers for The Amanda Show, reported that the writers’ room often involved inappropriate humor, including adult content and sexual innuendos, which they found troubling given the show’s young audience. Kilgen also alleged that Schneider asked her for massages on multiple occasions.