Kenan Thompson admitted it’s “tough to watch” his former co-stars speak about the alleged abuse at Nickelodeon, because he didn’t experience it.
The “Kenan and Kel” star called on the children’s television network to “investigate more” after former staff and child stars opened up about their experience working with Dan Schnieder and others in the four-part docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” “Drake and Josh” star Drake Bell also came forward as the 14-year-old who was sexually abused by Brian Peck.
“It’s tough for me, because I can’t really speak on things that I’ve never witnessed,” Thompson said during an appearance on “Tamron Hall.”
“Because all these things happened after I left, basically, and Dan wasn’t really on ‘Kenan and Kel’ like that,” he explained. “I mean, he got a ‘created by’ credit, but it was a different showrunner, so our worlds weren’t overly overlapping like that outside of ‘All That’ necessarily.”
Kenan Thompson starred in Nickelodeon’s “All That” and “Kenan and Kel.” (Getty Images)
“So I wasn’t really aware of a lot of it, but my heart goes out to anybody that’s been victimized or their families,” he added.
Thompson began acting in the 1990s in the original cast of Nickelodeon’s “All That.” The actor was 15 years old at the time. The success of the sketch comedy show led to Thompson’s spin-off show with fellow star Kel Mitchell – “Kenan and Kel.”
His success continued with “Good Burger” and “Saturday Night Live.” Thompson is the longest-tenured cast member in the history of the NBC sketch comedy series.
Kenan Thompson’s career success continued with “Saturday Night Live.” (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
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Thonpson’s memories of Nickelodeon were different from what was portrayed through the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set.”
“I think it’s a good thing that the doc is out and is putting things on display that need to be – stories that need to be told for accountability sake – but it’s definitely tough to watch because I have fond memories of that place,” Thompson explained.
“And I have fond memories of my costars and stuff like that, so, to hear that they’ve gone through terrible things like that, it’s just, it’s really tough,” he added.
Tamron Hall noted that the show had reached out to the production company who claimed to investigate allegations like those made in “Quiet on Set.”
“Well, investigate more! I mean because it’s like, it’s supposed to be a safe place, you know?” Thompson responded. “It’s supposed to be a safe place for kids and to hear all about that it’s just like, ‘How dare you?’”
“Quiet on Set” focused on the treatment of teenage stars on shows such as “The Amanda Show,” “iCarly,” “Drake and Josh” and more.
Drake Bell revealed in the “Quiet on Set” docuseries that he was the 14-year-old boy abused by Brian Peck. (Getty Images)
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Nickelodeon shared a statement with Fox News Digital when the docuseries premiered.
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct,” the statement said.
“Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crews, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
Schneider, who worked as a showrunner for a handful of Nickelodeon hits, apologized for his behavior in a video shared to YouTube.
Dan Schneider was accused of inappropriate behavior on Nickelodeon sets in the docuseries “Quiet on Set.” (Eric Vitale/Getty Images)
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