"I'm not condoning any of his behavior" — Victoria Justice opens up on her complex relationship with Dan Schneider 

In a recent interview with Marie Claire, actress and singer Victoria Justice opened up about her rise to fame as a child artist and her plans to kickstart her music career soon. She also shed light on her "complex" relationship with Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider amid the ongoing controversy, where the latter has been accused of workplace misconduct and s*xual harassment in the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

Victoria Justice explained that although she was never harassed and her mother was always around to take care of her in the fullest capacity, a few instances were in “poor taste.”

“I’m not condoning any of his behavior,” Victoria Justice said.

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Victoria Justice has rarely been in contact with Dan Schneider following her exit from Nickelodeon in 2013

During the conversation with Marie Claire’s Jazmine Hughes, published under the title “The Victoria Era” on Wednesday, May 15, Victoria Justice shared her insight about the recent allegations against Dan Schneider and her “complex” equation with him over the years.

Addressing the controversy surrounding Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, she mentioned:

“Something that was very evident in the documentary is that Dan had a very large ego, and sometimes that ego clouded his better judgment and affected the way he treated people, and there were times I felt like I was being treated unfairly.”

After Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV was released, Schneider admitted that he owes many people “a pretty strong apology.” Victoria noted that she was “definitely one of the people on that list.”

She also said that she has rarely been in contact with Schneider following her departure in 2013, except for a few virtual and in-person reunions with the cast of Nickelodeon shows Zoey 101 and Victorious, and a birthday message occasionally.

“At the end of the day, my relationship with Dan is a very complex one: I met him when I was 12 years old, and he's the person that gave me this big break. He completely changed my life. Most likely I wouldn't be here where I am today if it weren't for him, and for him seeing something in me. For that, I will always be grateful,” she said.

Victoria Justice mentioned that she thought Dan Schneider “recognizes that he did a lot of things wrong” and “could step back into a time machine” to try and do them “differently.”

The 31-year-old actress got her breakthrough in the Nickelodeon teenage sitcom Zoey 101 at the age of 12, where she played the role of Lola Martinez. It ran from January 2005 to May 2008 and was created by Dan Schneider.

In fact, it was he who took Justice’s audition, which was followed by a callback, screentest, and eventual casting. Later, she also landed the lead role in Schneider’s other comedy-drama TV series, Victorious, where she played the character of aspiring singer Tori Vega from March 2010 to February 2013.

Victoria Justice’s remarks come amid All That alum Lori Beth Denberg’s recent allegations against Schneider outside the Investigation Discovery docuseries. The producer, in turn, denied the accusations and tagged them as “wildly exaggerated” and “false.”

"As I have previously stated, there were times, particularly in the early years of my career, that I made mistakes and exhibited poor judgment as a leader. If I did that with respect to Lori Beth, I sincerely apologize to her. But I cannot apologize for things I did not do,” Dan told E! News.

Earlier this month, the 58-year-old also filed a lawsuit against the producers of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV for reportedly portraying in the same light as that of convicted offender Brian Peck.

Following the legal filing, he told E! News that he was “sincerely apologetic and regretful” for being a “bad leader” and his “failures as a boss” and was even ready to take “accountability.” However, he said he wouldn’t tolerate defamation of character.