Former Nickelodeon Star Lori Beth Denberg Claims She Tried to 'Protect' Amanda Bynes From Dan Schneider Before Being Banned From Set
Former Nickelodeon star Lori Beth Denberg claimed she tried to protect Amanda Bynes from Dan Schneider.
One particular incident Denberg highlighted was Schneider's controversial relationship with Bynes, whom she met during their time on All That in 1996. Although Denberg described her own relationship with the producer as "weird" and "abusive," the She's the Man actress later reached out to Denberg for support during her own series, The Amanda Show.
Concerned about Bynes's well-being due to her own negative experiences with Schneider, Denberg said she voiced her worries to Brian Robbins of Tollin/Robbins Productions, who also managed Bynes at the time. However, Denberg's concerns were allegedly dismissed.
Following this, Denberg took her concerns to Albie Hecht, the president of Nickelodeon Entertainment at the time. Hecht appeared more receptive to Denberg's worries and adjusted Bynes's shooting schedule to be less demanding.
Despite her efforts to protect Bynes, Denberg later learned that she had been banned from the set of The Amanda Show. This revelation left her feeling "disgusted" and "defeated," as she believed she had tried to help Bynes but ultimately failed.
Schneider was eventually let go from Nickelodeon in 2018. However,n Robbins, who was allegedly aware of Schneider's behavior, was promoted to co-CEO of Paramount Global, Nickelodeon's parent media company, signaling a lack of accountability in the industry.
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Denberg revealed that a friend who worked on The Amanda Show informed her a photo of her had been posted in the guard’s office to ban her from entering the set.
Another source corroborated this claim, telling outlets that not only was the photo hung, but it was known on set that she'd been barred.
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In a statement released to outlets, Schneider calls Denberg’s claims “wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false.”
“The fact that an Executive Producer of Quiet on Set would pursue allegations regarding what may have happened between adults nearly thirty years ago — only a week after I filed a defamation lawsuit accusing Quiet on Set of being intentionally false and misleading — seems more than coincidental,” reads the statement.
Schneider admits to having “made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader” at the early stages of his career, adding, “If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do.”
Deadline provided quotes and sources used in this article.