A Zoey 101 star has made some pretty disturbing allegations against Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider, adding fuel to the online rumours of a creepy foot fetish.
Alexa Nikolas played Nicole on the hit teen comedy starring Jamie Lynn Spears and has been open about the trauma she endured on set. She held a protest in front of Nickelodeon headquarters earlier this year where she said she “did not feel protected” during her time on Zoey 101 and alleged Schneider played a “huge role” in her “childhood trauma”.
Nikolas has once again opened up about her time on the show and told the Vulnerable podcast Schneider “would go around with money and ask to take photos of the kids’ feet” with his digital camera. She then alleged he wanted pictures of “their toes” specifically.
At the time, Nikolas was 12 years old and thought Schneider’s behaviour was “silly” and “weird”, but she said her mother was concerned and told her: “Don’t go over there.”
“My mum actually said no to it,” she added.
“But I saw other parents allowing their kids to do it.”
Nikolas also alleged Schneider verbally abused her after an altercation she had with Britney Spears.
After Nikolas complained to Schneider about Spears’ rant (which she has since apologised for), she said he told her “Do you understand that it’s called Zoey 101, not Nicole 101?”. She also claimed he told her: “No one likes you.”
Allegations of misconduct by Dan Schneider on Nickelodeon sets have been floating around for some time and were investigated by Nickelodeon’s parent company ViacomCBS in 2018. No evidence of sexual misconduct was found, though the investigation did unearth allegations of verbal abuse. He has since parted with the network.
Business Insider published a story in 2022 which alleged Schneider would insist on “hyper-sexualised” content of teen stars in his shows. It alleged he pressured children to wear “the most revealing” costumes and that he would persistently ask for “massages” by female staff on set.
Jennette McCurdy, who starred in Nickelodeon shows iCarly and Sam & Cat, made similar allegations against an unnamed producer in her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died.
She wrote that The Creator, who is never identified, pressured her into sharing an alcoholic drink with him when she was underaged.
McCurdy also alleged he gave her a massage without her consent, even when she insisted she didn’t want one, and said she was pressured to wear revealing bikinis as a child on the set of iCarly. She then claimed Nickelodeon offered to pay her USD$300,000 to remain silent about the treatment she endured.
Fans online also spread rumours that Schneider had a foot fetish after resurfaced clips of the TV shows he directed showed multiple scenes with feet as the subject.
What was crazier was when they had Ariana grande doing all these weird fetish things for kids to watch.. pic.twitter.com/bFbl9anlhy
— Fernando 𖤐 (@fernando_mikell) October 5, 2022
SAM & CAT TOMORROW! Write on the bottom of ur foot, take a pic and use #SAMandCATSaturday we’ll RT and follow until our fingers get sore!
— Sam and Cat (@SamAndCat) September 13, 2013
now u might say “well maybe he just finds feet funny” but his twitter may prove differently. who asks thousands of YOUNG kids to SEND U FEET PICS??? pic.twitter.com/jlOs3ooIam
— effy stonem fan acct (@nadiasoinski) April 25, 2019
Schneider called the fetish rumours “ridiculous” in a 2021 interview with The New York Times, three years after he parted ways with Nickelodeon.
“The comedy was totally innocent,” he said.
Neither Nickelodeon or Dan Schneider have commented on Alexa Nikolas’ latest allegations.
