'I don't feel safe.' The dark history of Jamie Lynn Spears' Nickelodeon series Zoey 101.

Jamie Lynn Spears is back in the news right now, and for once it's not due to another round of online beef with her pop star sister, Britney Spears. 

In fact, the sisters are currently on good terms, as Britney confirmed she had visited Jamie Lynn on set of her new movie Zoey 102, a Paramount+ sequel to her popular Nickelodeon series, Zoey 101. 

Jamie Lynn starred on the series from 2005 to 2008, playing the series star Zoey Brooks, as she attended a prestigious Southern California boarding school. The series ended after Jamie became pregnant at 16. 

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In the 2023 movie, the school's alumni return to Malibu for a wedding which becomes an unofficial high school reunion. Jamie Lynn both stars and serves as executive producer of the film reboot. 

As fans of the original series get excited to welcome Zoey 101's beloved characters back to their TV screens, the series revival has also brought back some of the darker memories that some of the cast would sooner forget.

In recent years, Zoey 101 was a Nickelodeon series marked by allegations of bullying and inappropriate behaviour. In Jamie Lynn's memoir Things I Should Have Said, the actress didn't paint an idyllic picture of the mood on set. 

"Unfortunately, the camaraderie of the show's stars didn't always transfer into real life," Jamie Lynn wrote. She and her on-screen bestie Alexa Nikolas famously didn't get along, with the actress departing the series in season two.

In her memoir, Jamie Lynn claimed that Alexa spread rumours about her on set.

"At first it was small lies - things like people saying I was mean or bitchy," she wrote. "Everyone was telling me that Alexa was the one making the false claims. I went to the producers to share my concerns. Then the rumours took on a more sinister feel. I got a feeling that a few people on the set were trying to stir the pot and perhaps cause trouble between me and Alexa."

When a rumour about Jamie Lynn having lice began circulating around set, she recruited her big sister Britney to allegedly confront Alexa in a trailer. 

"Britney told her that she wouldn't keep jobs if she continued to treat people that way," Jamie Lynn claimed. "Alexa scurried away from the trailer. After that chat Alexa didn't blatantly bully me, and once season two was in the can, she was dismissed from the show."

But Alexa has recounted a wildly different story. After Jamie Lynn's memoir was leaked online, the former child star disagreed with her ex-costar's version of events.

In January 2022, Alexa responded via Instagram.

"I was pretty surprised to see her lying up a storm in there," she wrote. "I recently thought we were fine after she tried to use me in her Zoey 101 music video to make herself look better after I finally came out about what happened to me while on set/being left out once again during the reunion reboot ploy."

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She continued; "Typical move for a bully to play the victim card/gaslight others while straight up lying. I responded to her and said 'Please do not send me anything and please stop contacting me.'"

In her memoir, Jamie Lynn denied any wrongdoing. 

"I don't remember ever bullying anyone, especially a coworker on set," she wrote. "Considering the cruel way I felt that she treated me and tried to turn the cast and crew against me, her claims seemed designed to garner attention once her fame had waned. I can't control how she perceived our dynamic, but I can say I wouldn't have hurt her on purpose."

For her part, Britney apologised to Alexa in November 2022, writing on Twitter that "My sister was literally like my daughter growing up... so I apologise for my ignorance for yelling at you when I obviously had no idea what was really going on!!!"

In the years since she left Zoey 101, Alexa has been vocal about suffering mistreatment while on the show, starting a movement called 'Eat Predators', which seeks to unmask alleged predators and networks.

In particular, Alexa has spoken out about allegedly inappropriate behavior from Zoey 101 creator Dan Schneider, who also created Nickelodeon programs The Amanda Show, Victorious, iCarly and Drake & Josh.

Dan departed Nickelodeon in 2018 and a 2021 report by the New York Times said that the network cut ties after an internal investigation found evidence of verbal abuse towards his colleagues.

In an interview on the Real Pod podcast, Alexa alleged that he requested to be present during her wardrobe fittings.

"Whenever I had wardrobe fittings, he always had to be in them," she claimed. "Thank God there was a curtain, but he was literally on a chair right outside of the curtain. I had to wear very short skirts. Something that [in] the interviews that I've done that I haven't mentioned yet was that I had to wear biker shorts under my skirts, and they had to cut the biker shorts because the skirts were too short."

In another instance, she claimed that photos were taken during these fittings and alleged that Dan would ask if he could 'have the Polaroids". The actress was 12 years old at the time. 

Alexa also alleged that during her time working for Nickelodeon, Dan often photographed his child actors' feet. 

"He had a digital camera and he would go around with money and ask to take photos of the kids' feet. Their toes. I remember thinking it was weird and silly almost as a kid. I remember my mum going, 'Don't, go over there!' but I saw other parents allowing their kids to do it."

Dan has labelled allegations that he captured photos of children's feet as "ridiculous", telling to the New York Times that children find feet "goofy and funny".

Alexa recalled telling Dan about an incident where she was allegedly bullied by Jamie Lynn. 

"Dan looks at me and goes, 'Do you understand that it's called Zoey 101, not Nicole 101?' He goes, 'we cannot have this happening anymore on set,'" she said. 

"I started crying and saying I really don't want to be a problem for anyone. Dan screamed, 'No one likes you.'"

She went on to claim that Dan's treatment of her was what pushed her to quit the show. 

"I got abused by Dan Schneider in an exec room. I quit the show because of the Dan Schneider abuse," she said. "I don't feel protected. I don't feel safe. I feel scared."

In the podcast interview, Alexa said that the blame doesn't just lie with him.

"I know people are gonna focus on Dan Schneider but really the accountability lies with Nickelodeon. It's a safe haven for abusers."

Alexa is not the only Nickelodeon alumni who has raised concerns about their treatment with the network. iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy described a harmful working environment in her 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died.

In the book, she made several mentions of a person she dubbed 'The Creator', who she alleged engaged in inappropriate behavior like massaging her at work, photographing her in a bikini, and pressuring her to drink alcohol while she was underage. 

"The Creator is doing the thing that I've heard from my co-stars he does with every new star of a show that he's making - he takes you under his wing. You're his favorite.”

McCurdy alleged that she turned down a $300,000 offer from Nickelodeon to stop her speaking about her experiences with the network.

"Nickelodeon is offering me three hundred thousand dollars in hush money to not talk publicly about my experience on the show? My personal experience of The Creator’s abuse? This is a network with shows made for children. Shouldn't they have some sort of moral compass? Shouldn't they at least try to report to some sort of ethical standard?"

Hers claims lead to an investigation by Insider, which dug up more allegations. The report said that Nickelodeon writers, actors, and crew members had raised concerns about sexually suggestive content in Dan's various shows. 

In once instance on Zoey 101, Alexa recalled a "traumatising" scene in which a syringe of goo was squirted onto Jamie Lynn. As the substance dripped down her face, she said Dan began laughing before a male teenage cast member remarked, "It's like a cum shot".

Nickelodeon's former president of content and production Russell Hicks said that a standards-and-practices group reviewed every script and clarified that parents and caregivers were always present during filming. 

"Every single thing that Dan ever did on any of his shows was carefully scrutinised and approved," he wrote in a statement.

Jamie Lynn's memoir did not say anything negative about the Zoey 101 creator, or acknowledge any of the allegations.

"The show attracted some of the best professionals in the business. The creator and director, Dan Schneider, was exacting and insisted on professionalism," she wrote. 

Dan has long vehemently denied all allegations. 

"I couldn't and I wouldn't have the long-term friendships and continued loyalty from so many reputable people if I'd mistreated my actors of any age, especially minors," he said in response to the NYT report.

Feature image: Getty/Nickelodeon/Mamamia.