Though she is not part of the Paramount Plus iCarly revival, Jennette McCurdy was a central part of the original series.
In fact, many would say that she played the best character. She continued that role on Sam & Cat.
But Jennette bristled at castmate Ariana Grande, and felt exploited during her time on Nickelodeon.
It even sounds like she may be accusing series creator Dan Schneider of inappropriate behavior.
Jennette McCurdy played Sam Puckett on iCarly for years.
She appeared in the same role on the spinoff, Victorious. She starred in the spinoff, Sam & Cat.
Since then, she has taken years off from acting, except for her one-woman show with an eyebrow-raising title.
I’m Glad My Mom Died is also the name of her new memoir.
Jennette’s mother passed away in 2013 from cancer. Jennette had been the breadwinner since childhood.
Additionally, she also revealed that her mother had both emotionally and sexually abused her until she was 17.
To promote her new book, Jennette spoke to The New York Times this week.
“My whole childhood and adolescence were very exploited,” she described.
“There were cases where people had the best intentions,” Jennette recalled, “and maybe didn’t know what they were doing.”
“And also cases where they did,” Jennette grimly added.
She accused: “They knew exactly what they were doing.”
She wrote of an experience being “photographed in a bikini at a wardrobe fitting.”
The New York Times notes that someone Jennette identifies only as “the Creator” encouraged her to drink alcohol during the photoshoot.
While some scenes on iCarly and other shows did include swimwear, that sounds very uncomfortable.
It is inappropriate to offer alcohol to someone who is not old enough to drink. No one should pressure anyone to drink alcohol.
Jennette’s mother was present for that, but apparently did not intervene on her daughter’s behalf.
People assume that “the Creator” refers to Dan Schneider, who created iCarly and a number of other Nickelodeon shows.
While no one has actually accused Schneider of sexual misconduct, there has been some innuendo about his work.
Jennette’s anecdote about Schneider does not sound like a #MeToo horror story, but it sounds uncomfortable and disappointing.
Jennette’s bigger issue was her treatment on set.
She says that Nickelodeon promised her a spin-off … only to instead make her co-lead with Ariana Grande.
Ariana had starred on Victorious as Cat Valentine, but Jennette did not enjoy their time as castmates.
“What finally undid me was when Ariana came whistle-toning in with excitement,” Jennette writes.
She felt undone “because she had spent the previous evening playing charades at Tom Hanks’s house.”
The inequality of their treatment got to her. “That was the moment I broke.”
Jennette even shared that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 to keep her experiences private.
She declined, however.
At the time, iCarly co-star Miranda Cosgrove did not understand Jennette’s struggles or resentments.
As an adult, Miranda and her fellow castmates have a better grasp of where Jennette was coming from.
Jennette felt embarrassed of her career, and was enduring numerous traumas with her family.
These days, they are very supportive of Jennette’s decision to opt out of the iCarly revival.
