“ It made me really , really , really pitiful that that was happening to people that I literally saw often and had no idea . ”
Emma Robertssaid she was “horrified and shocked” after watching the bombshell docuseriesQuiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
Released in March,Quiet on Setexamined the alleged abuse and toxicity that child stars were subjected to while working for Nickelodeon — specifically on shows helmed by Dan Schneider.
Among the revelations was a history of complaints against him, as well asDrake Bell’s storyof abuse by a Nickelodeon dialogue coach.
Sharing her thoughts onQuiet on Set, Emma toldVariety: “I was completely horrified and shocked because that was not my experience.”
Emma, who, of course, played awkward middle schooler Addie Singer onUnfabulousfor three seasons, said she had a positive experience on the show. Part of that, she explained, was because they had “this amazing woman” showrunner “named Sue Rose.”
“I didn’t realize at the time, but a female showrunner back then was not very common,” Emma shared. “Also, my mom was with me 24/7, and even I would be like, ‘You don’t have to be here all the time,’ she was like, ‘I do actually. I’m not letting you out of my sight. You’re not going to a fitting by yourself when you’re 13 years old.'”
Emma added, “It makes me really sad, and I just feel like children need to be protected on sets, as do adults, and I feel like we’re working towards a better work environment in that sense. But yeah, that documentary really kept me up at night.”
Emma joins a long list of former child stars, includingAriana GrandeandKenan Thompson, who have spoken out in the wake of the docuseries.
You can stream it now on Max and Discovery Plus.
If you are implicated that a child is experiencing or may be in peril of maltreatment , you may call or text theNational Child misuse Hotlineat 1 - 800 - 422 - 4453 ( 4.A.CHILD ) ; service can be supply in over 140 terminology .
