Matthew Underwood made available much more than just “extreme empathy” for fellow stars impacted by the alleged abuse outlined in the documentary collection “Quiet on Established: The Dim Facet of Children Tv.” The “Zoey 101” actor alleged on social media that he was sexually harassed and assaulted by an agent when he was 19.
The previous agent — who was not named — “spent a decent quantity of time setting up believe in with me as a pal and mentor,” Underwood mentioned in a prolonged Instagram assertion shared about the weekend. The actor, who also alleged he was molested by a friend’s stepfather when he was 12, said the alleged abuse by his former agent broke his believe in and “crushed” his self-image.
In a cellphone connect with with The Moments on Monday, Underwood’s present agent, Lauren Eco-friendly, reported she was proud of the actor and praised his bravery in sharing his tale. She also expressed support for “Drake & Josh” star Drake Bell, who in the documentary detailed the abuse he skilled from dialogue coach Brian Peck. (Peck served 16 months at the rear of bars right after pleading no contest to abuse rates in 2004.)
Underwood stated the alleged harassment and assault he confronted prompted his choice to leave Los Angeles and finish his performing vocation. He said he reported the unnamed previous agent, and Eco-friendly verified that her client’s alleged abuser has died.
For the actor, 33, sharing the alleged abuse he faced as a youthful star was not about adding to the allegations that took the highlight in Investigation Discovery’s “Quiet on Established.” As a substitute, Underwood claimed his revelation was a response to the mounting pressure to tackle the docuseries, which lose light on allegations of sexual abuse and discrimination that loomed over producer Dan Schneider’s Nickelodeon empire in the late ‘90s and early aughts.
Soon after “Quiet on Set,” Underwood claimed he acquired e-mails from people today “telling me they hope me and my mom die and that we burn in hell” for not publicly voicing aid for Nickelodeon peers who instructed their stories. Other messages allegedly branded the actor “a pedophile defender,” he reported.
“I’m sharing this with hope that some of you can acknowledge that just since a individual doesn’t shout from the rooftops that pedophiles are terrible or that people can suck — that does Not signify they don’t have their very own explanations for remaining silent, great motives, personalized causes,” he wrote.
Underwood stated he has “extreme empathy for any one who has been taken edge of by folks they trustworthy,” and inspired followers to mirror on why some people choose to hold their experiences private.
From 2005 to 2008, Underwood starred in Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101,” 1 of the strike series producer Schneider produced for the duration of his tenure. He stated he did not have a bad knowledge even though working with both of those Nickelodeon and Schneider. Underwood also cited Schneider’s online video response to the documentary, noting the producer acknowledged “he experienced been an a— in his past.”
As he voiced hope for “anyone who desires to be better” and clarified, “I do not f— support pedophiles,” Underwood advised his followers that revisiting allegations of abuse can trigger some tricky recollections and thoughts for people today.
“Please quit wishing demise on my household and make sure you reconsider harassing other actors who wish to keep their privateness — you in no way know who has now been a target of the hell you’re wishing on them,” he concluded his statement.
“We all want to be there for every other,” Eco-friendly explained to The Situations. “We have to acquire a step back and be variety.”
Underwood is the most recent Nickelodeon alum to tackle “Quiet on Established,” next Josh Peck, Kenan Thompson and Melissa Joan Hart.
Days after the docuseries premiered in March, Schneider also dealt with the quite a few allegations surrounding his Nickelodeon legacy. His manufacturing corporation unveiled a 20-moment movie reaction in which the producer admitted that he employed Brian Peck (no relation to Josh Peck) to his sets, underlined the levels of executive approval on his reveals and explained he needs he could have taken a different solution to management.
“When I watched the [docuseries], I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes and it manufactured me sense terrible, and regretful and sorry,” Schneider claimed.
