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When a controversial documentary was released earlier this year detailing shocking allegations from the sets of some of the biggest children's television shows of the '90s and 2000s, many former child stars spoke out either in support of victims or to share their own experiences. Now, another major name is adding to the discussion and sharing her own thoughts on how the industry can better protect young stars.
Ariana Grande, who appeared on various Nickelodeon shows early in her career before her rise to pop stardom, recently broke her silence on the allegations made in the Investigation Discover docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which detailed claims from former child actors and employees of the network that include allegations of a toxic culture, sexual abuse, harassment and racial discrimination behind the scenes, per People.
While speaking to Penn Badgley in the Wednesday (June 12) episode of his podcast Podcrushed, Grande opened up about her experience starring on the shows Victorious and its spin-off Sam & Cat, both of which were created by Dan Schneider, whose alleged behavior was one of the main subjects discussed throughout the docuseries.
"A lot of people don't have the support that they need to get through performing at that level at such a young age, but also dealing with some of the things that the survivors who have come forward... there's not a word for how devastating that is to hear," she said.
Grande recalled how there were "things that weren't approved for the network [that] were snuck on to like our websites" and that she now realizes how having adults on set reacting to young stars' performances can create "a strange pattern that occurs where it's really taking advantage of how much it means ... to get a laugh from Video Village."
She added, "And the innuendos were like, we were told and convinced as well that it was the cool differentiation. And I don't know, I think it all just happened so quickly and now looking back on some of the clips I'm like, 'That's... damn, really?'"
The Wicked star also shared where she thinks the industry can make improvements to help protect other young stars in the future.
"I think that 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," she said, adding that it "should be in the contract" for anyone looking to achieve "any level of exposure" in mediums such as TV or music.
A source close to Grande told People that she is "devastated by the stories of survivors who have come forward and supports and urges more conversations to happen around how to protect young professionals in the industry." The source also added that while Grande's own experiences as a child actor are "not the same" as those of people who have previously spoken out, "the issues raised have allowed her to have a look back at her time as a young professional through an adult lens with a new a different perspective."