'Zoey 101' Star Alexa Nikolas Calls Out Dan Schneider's Video Statement: 'Where's The Personal Apology?'
A former Nickelodeon cast member, who appears in the controversial documentary series, 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,' expressed dissatisfaction with former producer Dan Schneider's response video regarding the accusations of sexism and fostering a toxic work atmosphere during her time at Nickelodeon.
Alexa Nikolas, known for her role in 'Zoey 101,' called out Schneider's public statement, stating, "When someone doesn't personally come to you and apologize, it's not an apology."
Nikolas, now 31, known for her role as Nicole Bristow on 'Zoey 101,' posted a detailed response video to Schneider's YouTube statement. While the 58-year-old acknowledged in his statement that there were aspects he would handle differently and expressed a need for apologies, Nikolas criticized him for opting for a public statement instead of privately apologizing to the individuals who worked on his sets during his career.
"When someone doesn't personally come to you and apologize, it's not an apology," Nikolas stated. "If you hear about it through other people, it's not really an apology right? An apology is to the person that you hurt. That's what an apology is for."
Within the documentary series, Nikolas, alongside other former child actors, revealed how their tenure on Nickelodeon adversely affected their mental well-being and self-confidence. She recounted her own struggles during the latter part of season 2 of 'Zoey 101,' detailing how she reached a point where being on set became unbearable, often resulting in tears.
According to the actress, the experience left a profound impact on her self-worth and permanently altered her as an individual.
RELATED: Dan Schneider Posts 'Pretty Strong Apology' For Nickelodeon 'Quiet On Set' Allegations
During her response video released on Tuesday, she repeatedly emphasized the need for Schneider to issue a private apology.
"I would've appreciated if Dan apologized directly to me," she said. "He's a bully, a meanie, and impacted my life, right? ... Where's a phone call of an apology? How come you can do all of this, how can everyone do all of this but not reach out to the person that they hurt?"
"You don't feel anything, Dan," she continued in the video. "You're like every frickin' privileged white male I've honestly ever met on set. You don't even know what accountability is. You have no idea what it is. You're searching for it maybe, but you haven't landed on it. That's for sure. This is not the way. I don't wanna have to watch this. I would have so rather gotten a letter from you, for example, apologizing, genuinely, than having to witness the whole world watching whatever the hell this is."
"I don't forgive Dan Schneider," Nikolas said. She went on to say how she does not "forgive Dan Schneider. Not saying I'll never, right? But currently, right now, that made me a little more upset, just because that just wasn't it. That wasn't proper accountability."
