Former All That member Lori Beth Denberg came forward with fresh allegations against Dan Schneider, claiming he acted inappropriately while serving as head writer of the show, Radar reports.
The child star detailed how their work relationship allegedly took a turn in a new interview, claiming she was asked to a meeting with Schneider in 1995 around her 19th birthday.
Lori Beth Denberg told Business Insider that Schneider allegedly proceeded to show her pornographic material on his computer, including a video of a woman performing oral sex on a donkey.
“I feel like that is the first time he preyed on me,” she said following the controversial premiere of Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
Denberg alleged that Schneider also initiated phone sex, and their once-business dynamic eventually wound up getting physical.
Lawyers for Schneider previously called Quiet on Set a “hit job,” claiming he was portrayed as a child abuser himself for clickbait, ratings, and views.
Denberg claimed she would stay the night at Schneider’s house and they would sometimes give each other massages. The actress alleged that Schneider once fondled her breasts and put his mouth on them after she lost a bet while watching Jeopardy! together.
“I couldn’t have been more green,” Denberg said, describing their connection as a “weird, abusive friendship.” She added, “I couldn’t have been more vulnerable.”
Denberg cited an alleged instance at a work dinner during which Schneider reportedly asked crew members and writers if they thought her breasts were different sizes, claiming he screamed at her after she reacted by throwing a piece of bread.
“I couldn’t have been more green,” Denberg said, describing their connection as a “weird, abusive friendship.”
“It was one of those turns that was just really upsetting and scary,” she alleged. “Everyone else seemed to completely blow it off.”
Schneider, who filed a defamation lawsuit against the producers of the ID docuseries, denied her claims as “wildly exaggerated and, in most cases, false.”
He told TMZ, “As I have previously stated, there were times, particularly in the early years of my career, that I made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader. If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do.”
Lawyers for Schneider previously called Quiet on Set a “hit job,” claiming he was portrayed as a child abuser for clickbait, ratings, and views.
During the four-part series, former child star Drake Bell revealed he was a victim of dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck’s sexual abuse.
Schneider claimed the docuseries tarnished his own reputation and legacy “through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that.”