7 Nickelodeon stars who got kicked off their TV show

The world of Nickelodeon stars has been viewed as a dream factory among young actors. But behind the glee and the smiling, there were serious struggles. Some were scandalous, while others were abused or discriminated against. Such problems usually made them quit popular TV shows.

This article will examine seven Nickelodeon stars who became embroiled in significant controversies or scandals, resulting in their departure from the network or their respective TV series.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Here is the list of 7 Nickelodeon stars who got kicked off their TV show:

7. Bryan Hearne (All That)

Bryan Hearne was a child actor on the popular Nickelodeon show All That (1994). He was a cast member on Seasons 7 and 8 of the comedy sketch series. While working on the series, Hearne faced racism issues and mistreatment. He went on to disclose that producers on the series made racist comments by comparing him to a piece of charcoal. Hearne was also forced to perform in skits that he and his mother deemed racist and insulting.

An example included a sketch where he was made to peddle Girl Scout cookies like he sold narcotics. He quit the show and the network because of the worries. Hearne later participated in the documentary, Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024), which depicted the darker side of being a Nickelodeon kid star.

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6. Alexa Nikolas (Zoey 101)

Alexa Nikolas was one of the original cast members of Nickelodeon's hit television series Zoey 101 (2005), where she played Nicole Bristow. She played the lead in the series's first two seasons. In August 2022, Nikolas demonstrated outside Nickelodeon studios with her group Eat Predators, which advocates for victims of sexual abuse.

However, Nikolas left the series after constant conflicts with fellow cast member Jamie Lynn Spears. Nikolas blamed the series creator, Dan Schneider, for not making her feel safe. She indicated that Nickelodeon failed to do enough to prevent abuse of her on set.

After leaving Zoey 101, Nikolas went on to abandon acting in totality. She is now an activist, calling for an end to predatory practices among entertainment professionals. She continued to advocate for the welfare of young actors by planning protests outside Nickelodeon's studios.

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5. Drake Bell (Drake & Josh, The Amanda Show)

Drake Bell was a familiar face on Nickelodeon, starring in TV shows such as The Amanda Show (1999) and later Drake & Josh (2004). However, despite his success, Bell's network career was plagued by serious problems. Bell was a s*xual abuse survivor by dialogue coach Brian Peck, who also appeared on The Amanda Show. The abuse continued to have an impact on Bell's life and career.

As a separate issue, Bell also faced charges as an adult. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges. The private and legal troubles impacted his role with the network and his career on television. Bell's experience has since been made public, most notably in the documentary Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024), aiming to draw attention to backstage violence.

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4. Amanda Bynes (The Amanda Show, All That)

Amanda Bynes was a giant of Nickelodeon in her era, starring on All That and The Amanda Show. She became famous for her sense of humor and was a household name. However, Bynes faced significant personal problems that compelled her to give up acting. She battled mental illness, drug, and alcohol abuse. In 2013, she was hospitalized after igniting a small blaze in a stranger's driveway.

The episode came after a string of publicity surrounding alcohol problems and other strange behaviors. Bynes's parents placed her under conservatorship due to these issues. The issues finally forced her to retire from the limelight and from starring on Nickelodeon.

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3. Jennette McCurdy (iCarly, Sam & Cat)

Jennette McCurdy was a popular Nickelodeon actress who starred in the popular sitcoms iCarly (2007) and Sam & Cat (2013) as Sam Puckett. Her character was popular for being rough and comedic. However, McCurdy quit working for Nickelodeon and acting after feeling embarrassed by the type of roles that she was supposed to play as a teenager. She also went through very awkward circumstances while working on the sitcoms.

Jennette McCurdy states that she felt unsafe on set due to the presence of a strong individual she refers to as the Creator. The person urged her to consume alcohol when she was still a minor and offered her an inappropriate massage. Nickelodeon allegedly paid her a huge sum of money to keep quiet about her time working for the network when the sitcom Sam & Cat was shelved.

On the phone with her management firm, McCurdy received a $300,000 offer, but she declined the offer. She went on to author a book and quit acting. McCurdy feels that working as a sitcom star at Nickelodeon involved a lot of stress and negative encounters that she is still recovering from.

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2. Mathew Underwood (Zoey 101)

Matthew Underwood was a Nickelodeon star who portrayed Logan Reese on the popular TV show Zoey 101 (2005). His role involved playing a preppy and comedic spoiled rich kid. Underwood quit acting due to extremely challenging personal encounters. In 2012, he was arrested when the police conducted a search at his house in Florida and discovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

At 22, Underwood was said to have been in a bedroom with a 17-year-old girl who was later handed over to her grandfather. Despite having a permit, he claimed that the city continued meddling. Underwood confirmed that she smoked marijuana, but denied selling drugs. He said that the woman was his girlfriend and that they had been dating for a year.

Matthew Underwood was charged with possession of drugs and aiding the delinquency of a minor. He stated that the raid was not fair and that local authorities were making an effort to prevent him from opening a hookah lounge. Despite having a permit, he claimed that the city continued meddling. The police seized his hookahs and postponed the opening of the lounge. He intended to file a lawsuit against the city, stating he was being targeted.

After these incidents, Underwood chose to keep a quiet profile in the years that followed, staying out of the spotlight and never running afoul of the law again.

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1. Jamie Lynn Spears (Zoey 101)

Jamie Lynn Spears was a prominent Nickelodeon star owing to her major role in the sitcom Zoey 101 (2005). She was also well-known as the younger sister of music icon Britney Spears. Her stint on the show was cut short due to a massive personal scandal. In 2007, amid the series' production, news emerged that Spears became pregnant at 16. This stirred up an enormous controversy because she was a star of a children's network.

Zoey 101 was canceled shortly after the pregnancy was announced. She has denied that the pregnancy happened before production on the program was done, but the scandal likely made an impact on the future of the program and on her as a star of the Nickelodeon network. The pregnancy was a turning point in her life, taking her out of the spotlight and her acting profession for a while.

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The lives and careers of these Nickelodeon stars were irreversibly changed. Others simply quit the entertainment industry due to traumatizing experiences, while some spoke up and asked to stop child abuse, ensuring child actors were better protected.

Their bravery in sharing their experience has helped to expose horrible secrets regarding youngsters on television. It also resulted in significant discussions on how young actors were treated in Hollywood. As their screen time was reduced, their work led to awareness and change among the future generations.