The former Nickelodeon child star recounts the details of the mistreatments she suffered at the hands of Britney Spears’ younger sister on the ‘unhealthy’ set of ‘Zoey 101’.
AceShowbiz –Alexa Nikolas has alleged Jamie Lynn Spears made “Zoey 101” a “very toxic” place to work. The 31-year-old actress starred as Nicole Bristow on the Nickelodeon series but left after just two seasons, which she claimed was due to being “put through the ringer” by the show’s lead star, who “just didn’t seem to like” her from her very first day.
“I got put through the wringer on that show, it was a pretty bad three years. Jamie Lynn Spears just created a very toxic, unhealthy work environment,” she said on the “H3 Podcast“.
Alexa believed her “bubbly” personality rubbed her co-star up the wrong way, and while she initially thought Jamie Lynn was shy or wary of new people because of the global fame of her sister, Britney Spears, she claimed things “slowly escalated.”
Explaining Jamie Lynn would refuse to invite her to cast lunches in her trailer, Alexa said, “It just started to snowball, basically, and then it became bullying where she would just say harsh things to me like, ‘Why do you smile so much?’ You know like this kid bullying s*** basically. But you know, at that time it hurt. When I was a kid.”
Alexa accused Jamie Lynn of having “created the culture of the set” because she was the lead name in the cast and so many who worked on the show – which ran for four seasons between 2005 and 2008 – bent to her will. She added, “And her not liking me made everyone else kind of feel like, I think, they had to also engage in that type of behaviour.”
The “That’s Life” actress ultimately decided to leave the show after Britney screamed at her for “bullying” her sister. Recalling how she had headed to Jamie Lynn’s trailer feeling “kind of hopeful” the “Toxic” singer – who was heavily pregnant – wanted to serve as a mediator, only for both her co-star and chaperone Ian to “disappear.”
Alexa said of Britney, “I remember she just started yelling at me, telling me that I was bullying her sister, and I wanted to say something. And I remember my throat just closed. I couldn’t even speak, and I tried, and I just started to cry and hyperventilate. And [Britney] was like, ‘I’m gonna make sure you don’t work again.’ “
The confrontation was so “f****** scary” that Alexa “puked” as soon as she left the trailer, but claimed no one who saw her vomit seemed to care. Later, one of the programme’s creators, Dan Schneider – who has been accused of inappropriate behaviour by numerous other child stars – came to speak to her. She recalled, “And here comes Dan Schneider, with his sunglasses. And he looks at me – and I’ll never forget this – he goes, ‘Now what?’ “
After interpreting the statement as Alexa getting the blame, her mother told Dan she wouldn’t be returning to set but was told she was obligated to finish a scene. She recalled, “I remember just kind of looking at all the adults [on set]. I remember just looking up at them and just, you know, I didn’t matter that much in that situation.”
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