Ariana Grande calls for children-friendly sets amid Nickelodeon controversy
Pop star Ariana Grande has voiced her concerns over the recent barrage of allegations made by former Nickelodeon stars in the Investigation Discovery (ID) docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. During a recent appearance on the podcast Podcrushed, she described the revelations as "devastating." The singer, who started her career as a child actor on Nickelodeon shows Victorious and Sam & Cat, is now advocating for mandatory therapists on kids' show sets.
Grande proposed mandatory therapy for young performers
Grande stated, "I think the environment needs to be made safer if kids are going to be acting, and I think there should be therapists." The pop star also suggested that parents should have unrestricted access to the set. "If anyone wants to do this, or music, or anything at this level of exposure, there should be in the contract something about therapy is mandatory twice a week or thrice a week."
Grande reflected on past experiences and content appropriateness
Grande has been reassessing her own experiences on set in light of the allegations. She expressed her discomfort at looking back at some scenes she shot as a teenager, particularly given their new context. The singer also discussed how young actors are often misled about what content is appropriate or appealing to audiences. "I don't know, I think it just all happened so quickly and now looking back on some of the clips I'm like, 'Damn, really? Oh shit.'"
Docuseries revealed disturbing experiences on kids' TV sets
The ID docuseries that prompted Grande's comments features young actors sharing their experiences of physical or sexual assault, discrimination, and more on Nickelodeon shows in the 1990s and 2000s. Clips from her show Sam & Cat have gone viral since the docuseries premiered, showing Grande in scenes such as sucking on her toe, attempting to milk a potato, and pouring water on herself as she lays on a bed. Watch it on Discovery+.
