Former 'Zoey 101' Actor Matthew Underwood Retires from Acting Following Sexual Assault Experience

Matthew Underwood, a former Zoey 101 actor, revealed his sexual assault experience at 19 by his agent, who had gained his trust as a friend and mentor. He shared his story in response to Investigation Discovery's docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. His ex-agent was not named in the statement. "My trust was betrayed, and my self-image was shattered," Underwood added. I reported him to the agency, leading to his firing. However, he remains active in the industry. 

This incident caused me to leave LA and give up acting. Underwood claimed he was molested at 12 by his best friend's stepfather. He decided to share his experiences of assault and harassment due to public backlash and being labeled as a pedophile defender. This came after the release of Quiet on Set, a documentary about the negative environment for child actors at Nickelodeon, which received a significant amount of criticism. 

The documentary alleges abuse by Dan Schneider, creator of popular Nickelodeon shows like Zoey 101, Drake & Josh, iCarly, Victorious and Sam & Cat. Underwood believes others in the industry are also being harassed if they don't speak up. I hope some of you can understand that staying silent doesn't mean people endorse bad actions or negativity. (Underwood starred as Logan Reese on Zoey 101 from 2005 to 2008.) He reprised the role in the film Zoey 102 in 2023. Underwood said he never had a bad experience working on set with Schneider. "I have nothing to add that others would care about," Underwood remarked. "I believe people can improve, and it seems Dan acknowledges his past behavior as being objectionable." I trust he can be a creator and coworker everyone enjoys working with. 

After feeling misunderstood, Underwood shared a detailed response on Reddit. "I believe people are misinterpreting and assuming my intentions with that part of my statement," he wrote. "I know anything I say will be twisted by someone, but I feel compelled to clarify as my attention was drawn to this thread." He said, "I want those who violated me to genuinely desire to become better people. If they truly make an effort and want to improve, I hope to live in a world that encourages and provides them with opportunities to be better. In such a world, more individuals could find fulfillment in being decent human beings, resulting in less perpetuation of negative behavior." I don't want them near kids, but despite the pain they cause me, I still want a better world and for people to improve.

Some Zoey 101 alumni had issues with the showrunner. Alexa Nikolas, who played Nicole Bristow for 2 seasons, has criticized Nickelodeon's unsafe working conditions for child actors. She has referred to Schneider as the cause of childhood trauma and accused the network of enabling child abuse. Schneider left Nickelodeon in 2018. Nikolas expressed feeling unprotected at Nickelodeon during their childhood on Instagram in August 2022. "I demand that Nickelodeon prioritizes child protection instead of predators. Nikolas and other former Nickelodeon stars, including Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne, and Drake Bell from Drake & Josh, were interviewed for Quiet On Set."