Victoria Justice speaks out on Dan Schneider, says 'Victorious' creator owes her apology

Producer Dan Schneider has said he owes some former co-workers an apology, and Victoria Justice believes she's one of them.

The "Victorious" star, 31, spoke out about her experience working with Schneider in an interview with Marie Claire published Wednesday, alleging she was treated "unfairly" by the producer. Justice starred on Schneider's shows "Zoey 101" and "Victorious," and the recent documentary "Quiet on Set" explored allegations that he acted inappropriately behind the scenes of his series and created toxic work environments.

"Something that was very evident in the documentary is that Dan had a very large ego, and sometimes that ego clouded his better judgment and affected the way he treated people, and there were times I felt like I was being treated unfairly," Justice said.

In "Quiet on Set," participants argued that Schneider included scenes in his shows with disturbing sexual undertones that were not appropriate for children's entertainment. Speaking to Marie Claire, Justice agreed that looking back, certain moments were "in poor taste." She also said she is "definitely one of the people" whom Schneider owes an apology, though she remains "grateful" for the opportunity he gave her.

"At the end of the day, my relationship with Dan is a very complex one: I met him when I was 12 years old, and he's the person that gave me this big break," she told the magazine. "He completely changed my life. Most likely I wouldn't be here where I am today if it weren't for him, and for him seeing something in me."

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Justice added that she feels Schneider "recognizes that he did a lot of things wrong," and "if he could step back into a time machine, he would do a lot of things differently."

USA TODAY has reached out to Schneider for comment.

After playing Lola on the Nickelodeon series "Zoey 101" opposite Jamie Lynn Spears, Justice starred opposite Ariana Grande on the network's "Victorious." In 2013, the show received a spin-off series that paired Grande with Jennette McCurdy's character from another Nickelodeon show, "iCarly." In her best-selling memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died," McCurdy wrote of a "creator" whom she didn't name but is speculated to be Schneider, the creator of both "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat."

"I feel like The Creator has two distinct sides," McCurdy wrote in the book. "One is generous and over-the-top complimentary. He can make anyone feel like the most important person in the world. ... The other side is mean-spirited, controlling, and terrifying. The Creator can tear you down and humiliate you."

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In a video responding to "Quiet on Set" in March, Schneider said he owes "some people a pretty strong apology" and admitted he could be "rude and obnoxious" to work with. He also said it was "wrong" for him to ask for massages on the sets of his shows. "I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation," he said.

Victoria Justice comments follow Lori Beth Denberg alleging Schneider 'preyed on' her

Justice's comments come the same week that "All That" star Lori Beth Denberg spoke out against Schneider and alleged the producer "preyed on" her.

In an interview with Business Insider conducted by an executive producer of "Quiet on Set," Denberg said she had a "weird, abusive friendship" with the producer and "All That" head writer, who allegedly initiated phone sex with her and showed her pornography on multiple occasions. She said she looks back on Schneider's behavior as inappropriate given the power imbalance between them.

In a statement provided to USA TODAY on Tuesday, Schneider called Denberg's allegations "wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false." Earlier this month, he filed a defamation lawsuit against the producers of "Quiet on Set," alleging the documentary was a "hit job."