Ariana Grande Accused of Taking $300,000 in ‘Hush Money’ From Nickelodeon Amid Child Abuse Scandal

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of child abuse that some readers may find distressing.

The eerie documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which explores the world of toxic culture behind some of the most recognizable children's shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, had its Amazon debut last month. Celebrities like Ariana Grande, though, have not yet come forward to discuss the alleged mistreatment they endured as young performers. Grande starred in the hit 2013 Nickelodeon sitcom Sam & Cat alongside her. As per Vanity Fair, McCurdy claimed that she was once offered $300,000 in 'hush money' to ensure that she would not publicly discuss her time at Nickelodeon or experiences with a man she worked with, referred to as “The Creator,” in a now released excerpt from her 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. Fans are convinced that Grande, too, was offered the deal, and she may have accepted it. 

As per The Blast, Grande and Elizabeth Gillies were brutally accused by fans for their continued silence on the topic. Fans expressed their opinions under an appreciation post by Gillies for the 7 Rings hitmaker. "So both of y’all took the hush money?" one fan asked. "How much hush money did Dan [Schneider] give you to keep quiet?" a second fan wrote. "Definitely signed NDAs," a third fan suggested. Others pointed out how Gillies still followed producer Dan Schneider on her Instagram. "Why are you still following Dan [Schneider]?" a fourth follower asked.

However, a few fans supported the former child artists. "All of you in this comment section are so Weird," one of Gillies's followers said, adding, "Quit blaming victims and remember that no one owes you their trauma. This is serious stuff real people had to go through, and you’re all treating it like some silly gossip you can’t wait to get more of."  

Zoey 101 actor Matthew Underwood too posted in their support, saying, “Please take a moment and consider that some people might not be making statements because talking about this kind of thing brings up memories and emotions that are difficult to deal with, and they have every right to be silent. Please reconsider harassing other actors who wish to maintain their privacy – you never know who has already been a victim of h-ll you’re wishing upon them."

Actor Drake Bell, who is seen in the shocking docu-series, slammed Nickelodeon for not being able to handle the abuse. “There’s a very well-tailored response saying, ‘Learning about his trauma,’ because they couldn’t say that they didn’t know about this or what had happened, or anything,” he said on The Sarah Fraser Show. “So I think that was a really well-tailored response by probably some big attorney in Hollywood.” He went on, “I find it pretty empty, their responses, because, I mean, they still show our shows, they still put our shows on and I have to pay for my own therapy, I have to figure out what — I mean if there was anything, if there was any truth behind them actually caring, there would be something more than quotes on a page by obviously a legal representative telling them exactly how to tailor a response.”

CHILD ABUSE: If you know of any children who are being subjected to abuse, please contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453.