Former Zoey 101 star Matthew Underwood has spoken out against the internet’s harassment of former Nickelodeon stars following the Quiet on Set docuseries. In his statement, he illustrates the dangers of forcing people to speak out on such a sensitive topic without knowing their stories and experiences.
The docuseries Quiet on Set shocked viewers by examining the abuse that occurred behind the scenes of some of Nickelodeon’s top shows. It revealed at least three child predators, including Brian Peck, were employed by the network. Additionally, the series puts forth considerable evidence suggesting the environment on most shows was toxic and rife with sexism, racism, and inappropriate jokes and behavior toward minors. Several victims, including Drake Bell, tell their stories publicly for the first time in the docuseries.
Naturally, Quiet on Set has raised much outrage against the people who let this happen and especially against those who went as far as to defend it, given that 41 celebrities wrote letters in support of Peck during his trial for child abuse. However, there has also been misguided anger at the former Nickelodeon stars who didn’t appear in the docuseries. Many viewers believe these former Nick stars should speak out in support of their former co-stars.
Now, one can understand responding with outrage to those who responded callously to Quiet on Set, as several former Ned’s Declassified stars did. Evidence has arisen, though, that internet users are attacking any former Nickelodeon star they can find who has not publicly responded to the documentary, prompting Underwood to issue a statement explaining why this is not acceptable.
Matthew Underwood calls out hatred and harassment of former Nickelodeon stars
Underwood, who starred in Zoey 101 before leaving Hollywood, took to Instagram to issue a statement. In his post, he revealed he was a victim of sexual abuse as a child and young adult. He experienced abuse both from a family friend and from his Hollywood agent when he was 19. Underwood revealed that the incident with his agent, who is still active in the industry, prompted him to leave Hollywood. However, he never had any intention or desire to publicly share this deeply personal story. Sadly, he felt he had no choice due to being harassed after Quiet on Set premiered.
He gave internet users a glimpse into the horrific harassment that former Nickelodeon stars are experiencing, revealing his email was spammed with death threats against him and his family and allegations that he’s a “pedophile defender.” He admitted that the years he has spent healing mean “those hateful words have little effect” on him. However, he was fearful that he was not the only one experiencing this harassment. Hence, he felt compelled to speak out and prove that there’s a high chance those choosing to maintain their privacy have very good reasons for doing so.
He urged users to “consider why someone might not share their experiences publicly” before deciding to “immediately shame them for reserving their right to privacy.” Underwood also directly addressed the allegations in Quiet on Set and confirmed he never personally had a bad experience with Nickelodeon or Dan Schneider but empathized with those who did. He concluded his post with a plea, “Please stop wishing death upon my family and please reconsider harassing other actors who wish to maintain their privacy – you never know who has already been a victim of the hell you’re wishing upon them.”
Sending death threats and harassing others is never acceptable in any situation, but it’s especially egregious in this situation. After all, anyone who watched Quiet on Set and truly absorbed its message knows one of the most horrific aspects is that there are likely many more victims who chose not to speak out publicly and potentially even more abusers, like Underwood’s agent, who got away with what they did. Additionally, even if one didn’t experience abuse while working for Nickelodeon, that’s not to say they haven’t faced it elsewhere in the industry and in their personal lives.
We have no way of knowing what people have experienced and whether they are also victims grappling with their experiences. To harass them and even send death threats is unacceptable. Even if these individuals have not had these experiences, one can imagine that there’s still a lot of grief and trauma to work through after learning of what happened to people they were likely once close to at a young age. To choose silence because the allegations on Quiet on Set hit someone especially hard is not being a “pedophile defender.”
It’s especially strange to be attacking former Nickelodeon stars whom we know nothing about when there are actually plenty of confirmed abuse defenders out there, including the 40 celebrities who wrote letters of support for Peck. Sadly, there is no lack of actual abuse defenders and celebrators to direct one’s outrage towards. People need to understand that there are real abusers and real abuse supporters out there, but people who are merely seeking privacy on a sensitive topic are not them.
(featured image: Phillip Faraone / Getty)
