The producers of the documentary series “Quiet on Set” have prevailed in a lawsuit brought by former Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider, who claimed that the show implied that he was a child sex abuser.
\n\nSchneider sued for defamation in 2024, alleging that the series had falsely portrayed him as being responsible for or having facilitated sex abuse committed by others. He won the first round in court, as a judge found enough merit in the claims to deny the defendants’ motion to throw out the case.
\n\nBut the defendants — Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony and producers Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz — filed an appeal, and on Thursday a three-judge panel ruled unanimously in their favor. The judges found that while the show does depict Schneider as a bad boss, it does not cross the line to a defamatory implication of child sex abuse.
\n\n“The documentary clearly distinguishes between the lamentable conduct that its participants attribute to Schneider — gender discrimination, harassment, toxic workplace behavior, and inappropriate sexual innuendo — and the child sexual abuse explicitly attributed to three named individuals, two of whom are discussed at length,” wrote Judge Melanie Ochoa, for the panel. “‘Quiet on Set’ also affirmatively…
Original source: https://variety.com/v/tv/