Amid Nickelodeon’s recent controversy, “Victorious” star Daniella Monet speaks out about her uncomfortable moments on the network.
Daniella Monet is best known to fans for her role as Trina Vega in “Victorious,” where she played the sister of main protagonist Tori Vega, played by Victoria Justice. In a recent interview with Business Insider, the actress opened up about her experiences on the show.
“Victorious,” according to Monet, is both funny and politically correct. Even so, there were some moments when she felt uneasy.
She expressed:
“Do I wish certain things, like, didn’t have to be so sexualized? Yeah. A hundred percent.”
The actress recalls a scene in which her character, Trina, is applying lip gloss on the couch while eating a pickle. An unnamed Nickelodeon writer told Business Insider that scenes like these were created in their male-dominated writers’ room.
Business Insider spoke with the author:
“Monet said that after filming a ‘Victorious’ scene in which she ate a pickle while applying lip gloss, she reached out to the network to express concern that it may be too sexual to air. The network aired it anyway.”
Furthermore, Monet stated that some of the clothes she was required to wear on “Victorious” were “not age appropriate” and that she “wouldn’t even wear some of that today as an adult.”
The 33-year-old actress is among many who have spoken out against Nickelodeon.
Jenette McCurdy’s memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” published recently, recalls her traumatic experiences at the network, from being forced to wear a bikini and photographed at a wardrobe fitting to being pressured to drink alcohol. The former “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat” star also revealed that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 in hush money to keep quiet about her experiences, which she declined.
Notably, Alexa Nikolas, who played Nicole Bristow on “Zoey 101,” recently led a protest outside Nickelodeon headquarters in response to the allegations leveled against young actors. She also publicly chastised the network, holding a sign that read:
“Nickelodeon didn’t protect me.”
As of now, no Nickelodeon representatives have responded to the recent controversy surrounding their alleged sexual treatment of young actors.