Nickelodeon Alum Melissa Joan Hart Speaks on ‘Quiet on Set’ Abuse Allegations

Melissa Joan Hart has stated that she believes those who came forward with allegations against Nickelodeon in the documentary Quiet on Set despite not having the same experience with the network. “I absolutely trust them, believe them, 100 hundred percent,” Hart, 47, who played the title character in Nick’s Clarissa Explains It All in the 1990s, said during the Meghan McCain Has Entered the Chat podcast on Thursday, March 28.

As part of her time with the kid’s network, Hart portrayed Clarissa from 1991 to 1994. She said she wasn’t disregarding anyone else’s experience with the channel even though she has yet to see the documentary, but confessed that her experience with the network was positive. However, she does believe that her location at the time may have been a factor.

“My experience is that I was in Orlando from 1989 to 1994, and I think maybe there was a difference between Orlando Nickelodeon and Hollywood Nickelodeon, although I’m not 100 percent sure on that,” she explained. “There weren’t a lot of executives [where I was], they were in New York … In Orlando, I had nothing but a wonderful experience.”

Having lived in Florida meant Hart was a “right to work state,” which resulted in the network “[working] the kids a lot harder than they probably legally should,” despite saying that the show was “a ton of fun” to be on. As the actress described it, she was supported by “an amazing crew” and an “incredible cast” on Clarissa, all of whom took “such good care of her.”

“I mean, these people were protective of me,” she said, elaborating on the fact that she felt “very safe” under their care. “So I don’t know if it was the difference in Orlando, or the time period, or whoever these guys were they weren’t around but I have to say not every egg in the Nickelodeon basket is rotten. There are good eggs.”

This month, the television docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which aired on Max, allowed former child stars and crew members to express their negative experiences working on Dan Schneider’s shows, including All That, The Amanda Show, Drake and Josh, iCarly, and more. 

Former cast members interviewed on camera include Drake Bell, Katrina Johnson, Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, and Bryan Hearne, among others. Bell revealed he had been the minor involved in the sexual abuse case against dialogue coach Brian Peck, which resulted in Peck’s 16-month prison sentence in 2004.

Nickelodeon responded to the allegations made in Quiet on Set after its premiere. “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct,” a statement to Us Weekly read.

In the statement, the company continued: “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”

In the aftermath of the documentary’s release, other Nickelodeon alums have spoken out about the allegations, including Kenan Thompson, who appeared on All That before starring in Kenan & Kel alongside Kel Mitchell in the mid-’90s.