Most American millennials were devastated after the release of the shocking Netflix show, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV this year. Unfortunately, the revelations of the show were only the beginning, and many more accounts of troubling stories have come to light since. Among TheShockNews of unfortunate exploited child actors is “Keke” Palmer, otherwise known as Lauren Keyana Palmer. Now 30 years old, Keke and her mom have recounted their experience working alongside Dan Schneider, including more disturbing accounts about the former star.
During an appearance on the podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Sharon Palmer explained that “the whole atmosphere of the Dan Schneider set was very weird, very cultish.” Not only were parents “very secretive” but everyone also took themselves way too seriously. Keke starred in multiple Nickolodeon shows growing up, including True Jackson VP, but didn’t work with Dan Schneider directly. Regardless, Palmer’s mom recalled Keke telling her a lot about the Schneider sets.
As far as she was concerned, children were “blessed and fortunate enough to work” for the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, but explained that she sees that as a “stopping station” where kids wouldn’t necessarily get their big break. Instead of allowing children to enjoy the unique experience of working on set, there was a constant buzz going around in the studio about which shows would be canceled next or upcoming, leading to an unnecessary amount of constant pressure and unrest.
Quiet on Set Exposes the Dark Truths of Abuse
In an interview with Password, Keke admitted that in her experiences working as a child actor, there were moments when people attempted to push her away from her mother, creating tension. Although she now understands that her mother was simply trying to protect her, Keke explained her feelings at the time were very different. She said:
I definitely felt overly controlled and confined and almost like I was in a prison sometimes.
Quiet on Set is a riveting documentary series that investigates Schneider’s alleged abuse of cast and crew members, as well as creating uncomfortable work environments. Sharon’s response to the documentary was a positive one. She noted that “Quiet on Set also did a good job at showcasing the stress outside these assaulting situations.” Many child actors were pressured by their parents to make more money to support their families, something that Sharon believes is a stressful situation that shouldn’t be experienced by any child.
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The allegations against Dan Schneider come in the wake of the docuseries Quiet on Set alleging that he fostered a toxic work environment.
Keke Palmer also took the liberty of interviewing Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Christopher Hearne, both of whom starred in All That as children and were featured in the documentary. She asked whether, knowing what they do now, the pair would still audition for the show again. Both agreed that they would still audition, believing that they would be able to advocate better for themselves now.
While many child actors, such as Josh Peck from Drake and Josh agree that child actors should be better protected on set, some still stand by Schneider’s side, demanding further investigation. According to an interview during the Tamron Hall Show, Kenan Thompson admits that he “never witnessed” any abuse while working on The Amanda Show or Kenan & Kel. The debate is one that clearly has plenty of mileage left to run, with many more stories still to be told, and more opinions waiting to be shared.