Ariana Grande is finally opening up about her own time on Nickelodeon in the wake of the explosive docuseries Quiet on Set.
Ari was on both Sam & Cat and Victorious — both created by Dan Schneider, one the key figures of the doc. Victorious in particular was called out a lot for including so much NSFW behavior and jokes for a kids’ show.
In Wednesday’s new episode of Penn Badgley‘s podcast Podcrushed, the pop star opened up about her time on Nick. While she didn’t address the documentary directly, Ari admitted she’s “reprocessing” her relationship with the sitcom after rewatching some old clips from the show and hearing from “survivors.”
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Before getting into the dark side of the series, though, she pointed out it was a really “special” experience for her and her castmates, noting:
“I think we had some very special memories, and we feel so privileged to be able to create those roles and become a part of something that was so special for a lot of young kids.”
But with fresher and more mature eyes, she can’t help but feel “upset” over the things she was made to do and say. Many of Ariana’s scenes have gone viral in light of Quiet on Set (as well as allegations made by her Sam & Cat co-star Jennette McCurdy), including a moment when she was lying upside down on a bed and pouring water on herself. In another ep, she tried squeezing a potato with two hands to “get juice.” See (below):
Thinking back on scenes like this, Ariana continued:
“Specifically about our show, I think that was something that we were convinced was the cool thing about us — is that we pushed the envelope with our humor. And the innuendos were … it was, like, the cool differentiation.”
Except the innuendos weren’t their idea, were they? They were being fed the more adult material by a guy who allegedly also kept photos from their fittings. See the issue? Getting emotional, the Thank U, Next artist continued:
“And 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, s**t’ … And the things that weren’t approved for the network were snuck onto, like, our website or whatever. I guess I’m upset, yeah.”
The 30-year-old went on to express how “devastating” it is to hear stories from other former child actors about their toxic experiences on similar shows, calling them “survivors.” Like many others, she’s now advocating for better protections for kids in the spotlight, saying:
“I think the environment needs to be made safer if kids are going to be acting, and I think there should be therapists. … I think there should be parents allowed to be wherever they want to be, and I think not only on kids’ sets. 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 or something like that.”
So true!
Even the most basic protocols could go a long way!
Since the shocking documentary series was released, other Nick alums have spoken about their time on the children’s network, including Victorious lead Victoria Justice. While many of the celebs have had complex experiences with child stardom, it’s clear they all agree changes should be made. Hear Ariana open up about this complicated matter at length (below):
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[Image via DanWarp/NickRewind/Podcrushed/YouTube]
