Inside Dan Schneider's Relationship With Amanda Bynes
Lifestyle News
By STEPHANIE KALOI
This story contains discussions of mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
CONTENT WARNING
A Writer
Dan Schneider's career began at Nickelodeon as a writer on hit shows like "All That," a sketch comedy series for kids with an ensemble cast of teens. In 2022, Insider published a report in which Schneider's on-set behavior was scrutinized, suggesting that some of the scenes he shot were inappropriate.
Casting
In 1996, Amanda Bynes was attending a Los Angeles comedy camp for kids when a female Nickelodeon executive asked her parents if she could audition for "All That" — a prospect that Bynes was very positive about. "It was a dream come true," Bynes told Paper. "It was unbelievable for me."
Her Show
"The Amanda Show," starring Bynes and directed by Schneider, debuted in 1999, and in 2000, writer Jenny Kilgen (one of only two women writers at the show) filed a lawsuit against Storybook Productions. She accused the company of gender discrimination and creating a hostile work environment.
Adderall
Bynes has been open about when she started to use drugs while filming "Hairspray" in 2007, though fans suspect she began earlier. She explained to Paper that she was "reading an article in a magazine that [called Adderall] 'the new skinny pill,'" and said, "I have to get my hands on that."
The End
In 2002, "The Amanda Show" fans were surprised and disappointed when it mysteriously went off the air after just three years. Amid Bynes' ongoing mental and emotional health concerns, fans have begun to see Schneider's cameos in a new light, including when he showed up in a hot tub with the teenager.