Ariana Grande believes child stars should have ‘mandatory’ therapy: ‘The environment needs to be made safer’

Ariana Grande, renowned for her transition from Nickelodeon star to Grammy Award-winning artist, has opened up about the challenges faced by child actors in Hollywood. During a recent episode of Penn Badgley’s “Podcrushed” podcast, Grande shared her thoughts on the necessity of mandatory therapy for young stars, drawing from her personal experiences and recent revelations in the documentary series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.”

Grande, who gained fame on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and “Sam & Cat,” emphasized the importance of professional support for young actors. “There should be an element that is mandatory of therapy, of a professional person to unpack what this experience of your life-changing so drastically does to you at a young age, at any age,” she said.

The conversation arose in light of the allegations against former Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider, as explored in the “Quiet on Set” docuseries. The series sheds light on Schneider’s alleged toxic workplace practices, including discrimination against female writers and inappropriate behavior with employees. These revelations highlight the need for a safer environment for child actors, a sentiment echoed by Grande.

“A lot of people don’t have the support that they need to get through performing at that level at such a young age, but also dealing with some of the things that the survivors who have come forward… there’s not a word for how devastating that is to hear,” Grande remarked. She advocated for the presence of therapists and parental involvement on set, stressing that these measures should be contractual obligations for anyone working in high-exposure environments such as TV or music.

Reflecting on her time at Nickelodeon, Grande acknowledged the blurred lines between appropriate and inappropriate content. “We pushed the envelope with [our] humor,” she admitted, noting that innuendos were often passed off as “cool differentiation.” She expressed her discomfort in retrospect, saying, “I think it all just happened so quickly and now looking back on some of the clips I’m like, ‘That’s… damn, really?’”

Grande also highlighted the issue of content that bypassed network approval. “The things that weren’t approved for the network were snuck onto our website or whatever it was, and that is another discovery. But I’m going into it… I guess I’m upset.”

The allegations in “Quiet on Set” extend beyond Schneider, with disturbing claims from actor Drake Bell about sexual abuse by Brian Peck, a dialogue coach hired by Nickelodeon. These revelations underscore the urgent need for reform in the industry.

Grande’s call for mandatory therapy and safer environments for child actors resonates strongly in the wake of these allegations. As someone who has navigated the complexities of growing up in the spotlight, her insights provide a valuable perspective on the changes needed to protect and support young talents in Hollywood.

Representatives for Grande did not immediately respond to requests for comment on her statements. “Quiet on Set” premiered in March, offering a sobering look at the darker aspects of children’s television and the critical need for systemic changes to ensure the safety and well-being of young actors.