Jennette McCurdy Gives An Eyebrow-Raising Detail About The End Of Her Time On Nickelodeon
Jennette McCurdy was once one of the biggest stars on kids' TV thanks to her integral role on the massively popular Nickelodeon series "iCarly." The show had its fair share of questionable elements that viewers choose to ignore, but it's also fondly remembered by those young enough to have watched it when it originally aired. It even recently got a more grown-up revival on the Paramount+ streaming platform.
McCurdy, however, doesn't appear in the new version, and recent claims she has made about her time working on the original make it clear why. As detailed in a Washington Post profile, the former child star is coming out with a new memoir telling all about her life and work during that tumultuous period, with the eye-catching title "I'm Glad My Mom Died." The book details abuse she apparently suffered at the hands of her late mother and on the set of "iCarly." In the profile and her memoir, McCurdy also makes some eyebrow-raising claims about the tail end of her Nick tenure, when she shared billing with then-rising star Ariana Grande on the show "Sam & Cat.
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McCurdy claims that Nickelodeon tried to pay her to not speak about her time on the network
According to The Washington Post's profile of Jennette McCurdy, things were far from perfect on the set of Nickelodeon's "Sam & Cat." The profile alleges that McCurdy took issue with the fact that co-star Ariana Grande's budding music career gave her more leverage to work on other projects, while the "iCarly" star wasn't provided the same kinds of opportunities. While "Sam & Cat" was on the air, Grande's debut album, "Yours Truly," released to strong reviews from critics and a #1 spot on the Billboard top 200 list.
Ultimately, "Sam & Cat" was canceled in 2014, and McCurdy claims that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 to keep mum about her experiences working for the network. Considering that in her memoir McCurdy details serious claims of abuse she experienced on set, it is understandable that she apparently viewed the money as an attempt to keep her quiet.
Leading up to the show's end, McCurdy also details a specific incident that had her feeling fed up with the whole ordeal. Apparently, it was hearing that Grande had gotten the opportunity to hang out and play charades with movie star Tom Hanks that McCurdy remembers as a particularly low moment during that time. "I love Tom Hanks!" McCurdy told The Washington Post. "What I would give to meet Tom Hanks."
After the end of "Sam & Cat," McCurdy had a few more significant roles, most notably on the Netflix series "Between," but has mostly stepped away from acting. According to The Washington Post, she is currently focusing on writing and directing.