Keke Palmer's mother has described old Nickelodeon sets as "very weird" and "cultish".
Keke Palmer's mother was uncomfortable on Nickelodeon sets
The 'Nope' star, now 30, worked as a child star on shows like 'True Jackson, VP' - in which she appeared in the title role from 2008 to 2011 - early in her career, and while executive Dan Schneider wasn't involved in that programme, Keke's mother Sharon was still uncomfortable.
On her 'Baby, This Is Keke Palmer' podcast, she and Sharon reflected on the 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV' docu-series, as well s allegations of misconduct made against Schneider.
Keke recalled: "I honestly do remember you having a lot to say about the Dan Schneider sets...
"I remember you feeling a way about Nickelodeon... I want to hear what you have to say."
Sharon replied: "My honest opinion is I thought the whole atmosphere of the Dan Schneider set was very weird, very cultish."
She described other parents as "very secretive", admitting she "thought they all took themselves way too seriously" while obsessing over their children's careers on Nickelodeon.
She added: "The whole conversation was: 'Oh my God! What's happening next? Did you hear they're going to cancel this show? What's coming next?' "
However, she explained: "My mentality about the entertainment business wasn't that Disney Channel or Nickelodeon was the end all to be all, but a lot of the parents did."
The Discovery+ documentary featured a number of former child stars from the network who alleged instances of abuse and a toxic working environment at the hands of producer Schneider.
In the film, former 'Drake and Josh' star Drake Bell revealed that he had been subjected to "extensive and brutal" abuse at the hands of Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck while others claimed that 'iCarly' producer Dan had created a "hostile environment" as he made the likes of Amanda Bynes and Miranda Cosgrove into teen stars.
Sharon admitted she "could see how [Bell's] parents got trapped" by Peck, while Keke said: "In my experiences with you in this industry, I had moments where people tried to push us away from each other or try to come in between us."
Her mother "never would allow that kind of thing to go down", and Keke noted it "created tension" at times when she "felt "almost like I was in a prison".
In May, Schneider filed lawsuit against Warner Bros Discovery over the docuseries.
In legal documents, his team said: "While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself."
In a previous statement to Deadline, Schneider's representative said: "Dan expected and asked a lot from his teams. They worked long hours and consistently made successful shows.
"In the challenges of production, Dan could get frustrated at times, and he understands why some employees found that intimidating or stressful.
"In a career spanning 30+ years, Dan worked with thousands of people, many of whom still tell him how much they enjoyed and appreciated working on his shows.
"But he also knows some people did not have a positive experience, and he is truly sorry for that.”
Tagged in Keke Palmer