Former child star Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who got his start in acting as a teenager on Saved by the Bell, spoke out about the recent allegations from other former child actors about their experiences working at Nickelodeon in the ’90s and 2000s.
“I feel really, really awful for them having gone through that,” he recently told Page Six. “I couldn’t relate because that’s not how our set was run at all.”
The actor confessed that he had not seen Quiet on Set, the ID series in which former child actors spoke on the mistreatment they faced at Nickelodeon. The doc uncovered several shocking allegations against the network and its employees, including racism, harassment, and sexual abuse.
“As a cast, I think we’re all pretty unscathed in a way,” Gosselaar continued. “We had good family, good producers protecting us, good teachers, so I feel awful that anyone had to go through that, especially children.”
He added, “The only thing I can say from my experience is I was very aware of it being a business, and people will do anything for the bottom line at times.”
Quiet on Set marked the first time that Drake Bell came forward about being sexually assaulted by Brian Peck, a former dialogue coach and actor who worked for the network. Peck was later arrested on multiple charges and sentenced to 16 months in prison. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
The series also highlighted two other Nickelodeon employees who were registered sex offenders while working for the network.
Dan Schneider, the mastermind behind shows like The Amanda Show and Zoey 101, was also accused of inappropriate behavior. Employees who came forward in the doc accused him of requesting massages on set. He was fired from Nickelodeon in 2018 after an internal investigation found that he was verbally abusive towards employees.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is now streaming on Max.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.
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