Former Nickelodeon child star Jennette McCurdy has been outspoken about the various forms of psychological trauma she experienced during her time as a teen sensation. For years, McCurdy has detailed harrowing stories of her mother being the catalyst for her eating disorder and a laundry list of mental hurdles she would have to overcome as an adult. In her new memoir, I'm Glad My Mother Died, McCurdy goes into vivid detail about her time at Nickelodeon. In one of the most discussed portions of the book, McCurdy alleges she was sexually abused by a Nickelodeon employee known as "The Creator."
Although McCurdy doesn't name her alleged attacker directly, it's safe to assume she's referring to the disgraced Dan Schneider. Schneider—who created several of Nickelodeon's most popular live-action shows—has frequently been the target of an array of allegations based on his inappropriate behavior. The portion of McCurdy's recollection that fans find equally appalling as the abuse is her claim that unnamed Nickelodeon executives offered her $300,000 in hush money to keep the experience private.
McCurdy was a prominent figure on Nickelodeon during the late-2000s and early 2010s, first starring on iCarly, and then reprising her role in a short-lived spin-off called Sam and Cat that co-starred Ariana Grande. The new excerpt from I'm Glad My Mom Died includes scenes from a dinner McCurdy had with The Creator while the Sam and Cat spin-off was being worked out, and later, a scene from the show's final days, after The Creator had been accused of misconduct.
The excerpt ends with a relieved McCurdy learning that Sam and Cat had been canceled after just one season. On a call with her various lawyers, managers, and agents, McCurdy says her team told her Nickelodeon was also offering her $300,000, of which one of her managers allegedly said, "They're giving you three hundred thousand dollars, and the only thing they want you to do is never talk publicly about your experience at Nickelodeon." Following this quote, McCurdy writes, "Specifically related to The Creator."
