Kel Mitchell, known for his roles in “All That” and “Kenan & Kel,” recently opened up about a troubling incident involving Dan Schneider, the former head writer and producer at Nickelodeon. Speaking on the “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast, Mitchell recounted a heated confrontation with Schneider that took place when he was just 18 or 19 years old. This revelation adds to the growing list of allegations against Schneider, who has been accused of various forms of misconduct by multiple former Nickelodeon actors.
Mitchell described how the atmosphere on the set of “All That” began to shift after the original co-creator, Brian Robbins, left the show to pursue other projects. This departure left Schneider in charge, and according to Mitchell, their working relationship quickly became strained. “The vibe of the show started to change a little bit,” Mitchell said, noting that he and Schneider often clashed over creative differences.
The tension between them culminated in a particularly intense argument on set. “He was like, ‘Let’s go over here to this room right here, in this closet,'” Mitchell recalled. “He closed the door and he just took off, you know, just yelling all this wild stuff.” Faced with the choice of escalating the situation or walking away, Mitchell chose the latter. “Being an adult at this point, I had a decision to make, you know what I mean? I was just like, ‘Okay, either we are going to fight or either I’m going to leave,’” he explained. “And so that’s what I did. I left the situation.”
Variety has reached out to Schneider’s representative for comment but has yet to receive a response.
Mitchell was an original cast member of “All That,” which premiered in 1994. He starred on the sketch comedy series for five seasons and later headlined “Kenan & Kel” alongside Kenan Thompson. The duo also spun off the popular “All That” sketch “Good Burger” into its own movie in 1997.
Kenan Thompson, who has also addressed the allegations against Schneider, expressed his sympathy for those affected. “My heart goes out to all the former child actors and teen stars who were affected by his alleged inappropriate behavior,” Thompson said. He added that he couldn’t speak on incidents he didn’t witness, as most of the allegations surfaced after his time at Nickelodeon. “Dan [Schneider] wasn’t really on ‘Kenan & Kel’ like that. He got a ‘Created by’ credit, but it was a different showrunner,” Thompson explained. “All that negativity kind of started happening outside of our tenure [at Nickelodeon].”
Thompson also acknowledged the importance of the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set,” which has brought many of these stories to light. “It’s a good thing that the doc is out and it’s putting things on display that need to be, stories that need to be told for accountability’s sake,” he said. However, he admitted that it was difficult to reconcile these revelations with his own positive memories of working at Nickelodeon.
In a later interview with Variety, Thompson expressed feelings of guilt for having fond memories of Nickelodeon amid the abuse allegations. “I feel so guilty saying that. All those things started happening after our tenure, because, I guess, no one would even dare. It wasn’t that kind of environment,” he stressed. “We were all building something, and when you’re building something, I don’t think anybody’s cocky enough to be pulling things behind the curtain.”
Schneider has been a controversial figure in recent years, especially following the release of “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.” The docuseries alleges that Schneider presided over a culture of abuse, harassment, racism, and sexism on the sets of his shows. Schneider has since apologized for his behavior, though he denies any involvement in the abuse and is currently suing the producers of the docuseries for defamation.
“There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader,” Schneider said in a statement to E! News. “I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it. I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators.”
Mitchell’s account adds another layer to the complex narrative surrounding Schneider’s tenure at Nickelodeon. As more former actors come forward with their stories, the full extent of Schneider’s influence and behavior continues to be scrutinized. For now, Mitchell’s revelation serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by young actors in the entertainment industry, particularly when those in positions of power abuse their authority.
