Dan Schneider Defends Amanda Bynes Relationship Amid Viral Hot Tub Clip

Despite the allegations made against him, Dan Schneider is standing by his relationship with Amanda Bynes, claiming he was "concerned for her safety."

While there haven’t been specific allegations from Bynes toward Schneider in terms of inappropriate behavior, some have claimed there were "noticeable" uncomfortable encounters between the two.

Now, Dan Schneider is speaking out.

Amanda Bynes and Dan Schneider worked together on several Nickelodeon projects, including 'All That' and 'The Amanda Show'. Schneider was heavily involved as a creator and producer on both projects. Their relationship contributed to the success of these shows and played a significant role in shaping Bynes' early career -- something Schneider allegedly wanted control over.

Per the docuseries, 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV', Bynes’s relationship with Schneider allegedly became very close as he thought he should “usher Amanda into adulthood."

It was then revealed that Bynes and her parents began not seeing eye to eye, mainly due to a romantic relationship the actress had with an older boy (who was never named.) This led Bynes to try and run away from home, which is when she allegedly turned to Schneider.

The docuseries later alleged that Bynes wanted to conjure a plan to be emancipated so she could get a new level of independence. Being emancipated would allow Bynes to work more freely.

While some alleged Schneider was the one behind the emancipation idea, he claims otherwise. "She wanted that for herself," he told former 'iCarly' actor Bobby 'BooG!e' Bowman, "We supported her.

"Amanda was between the ages of 16 and 17 and she wanted to get emancipated from her parents, which was a fairly common thing with successful young actors — at least at the time," he began to explain of that time in his life. "She wanted [the emancipation] for herself, so she turned to her team, which included her lawyer, her agent, her manager, her publicist, me — because she included me as part of her team, thought of me that way."

Schneider continued, "We supported her, she tried to get emancipated and it ended up not working out and she didn’t."

The former Nickelodeon producer went on to tell a story from that time in his life involving Amanda Bynes:

"One night very late, well after midnight, 1 or 2 in the morning, phone rang, I answered, it was Amanda. She was upset. She was in distress. She had had some conflict with her parents, I think her father, and she called me. I was immediately concerned about her safety.

I called someone that I knew was fairly nearby. That person was able to go and pick her up. I knew she was safe, I felt better. She ended up being taken to the police."

While Bynes pursued legal emancipation from her parents, she later withdrew the petition.

In the video [seen above], Amanda Bynes, who is clearly very young, is wearing a swimsuit and sitting in a hot tub next to Dan Schneider, who is fully clothed. The clip was shared amongst the allegations from former Nickelodeon cast and crew in 'Quiet On Set'.

“He is kind of saying, ‘I created this situation. I am the reason we are in this hot tub. I am pulling the strings.’ Maybe at the time people viewed it as a comedy but I think now some people are very uncomfortable with the implication,” culture writer Scaachi Koul said in the series.

Following the allegations made by many former Nickelodeon actors, actresses, crew, and staff, the network released a statement to USA Today:

“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct.”

Dan Schneider’s full interview can be viewed here.