Trigger Warning: The following article contains references to child sexual abuse, please take care while reading.

In the wake of the Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV docies, former Nickelodeon stars are breaking the silence and telling their stories of abuse in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the toxic culture that seems to permeate Nickelodeon’s young actors has also traumatized Zoey 101 star Matthew Underwood, who was brave enough to share why he quit acting.

Spearhead by Drake & Josh star Drake Bell’s gut-wrenching testimony, Quiet on Set has investigated how Nickelodeon favored the action of groomers and sexual abs on set. After the docies went viral, other actors added their voices to the crowd, denouncing the toxic culture that led so many underaged stars to be exposed to sexual predators.

Underwood took the role of Logan Reese on Zoey 101, a popular Nickelodeon series that aired from 2005 to 2008. He also returned to the revival movie Zoey 102, released in 2023. Underwood remained away from the spotlight between these two projects, taking a significant hiatus from his acting career from 2009 to 2017. While the reason Underwood quit acting is not directly connected to Nickelodeon, he did step away from performing after being sexually harassed.

Matthew Underwood’s sexual harassment allegations

In his post on Instagram, the actor reveals he was groomed and molested by his best friend’s father at the age of 13. The horrible betrayal at the hands of an adult he trusted led Underwood to push away his friends and isolate himself. Sadly, Underwood was forced to relieve his abuse a few years later when an unnamed agent sexually harassed the star. At the time, Underwood was 19 years old.

The sexual harassment by his agent echoed the painful memory of being abused by a trusted adult. So, after reporting the criminal to the agency, Underwood decided to quit acting. The agent who harassed Underwood got fired but landed on his feet and still works in the industry. That’s not an isolated case, as the Nickelodeon exposé shows Hollywood tends to be too lenient with abs.

While Underwood’s allegations help paint a grim picture of young actors in Hollywood, the star came forward after being bombarded by messages demanding him to take a stance on the Quiet on Set controversy. As Underwood rightfully puts it, everyone has their own trauma to process and experiences they don’t want to relive. So, if an actor is being quiet about the subject, they might have their reason. Instead of demanding people to comment on Quiet on Set, fans would do better diverting their energy to ing those who already spoke up.

If you or a loved one are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visit its website for confidential .

Get ready for a Pacific Coast Academy reunion; the Zoey 101 cast is all grown up and they’re returning for Zoey 102, a movie that’ll premiere on Paramount+ on July 27.

The streaming platform shared the movie’s official trailer via YouTube on June 20.

Zoey 101 was a Nickelodeon series that ran from 2005 to 2008 and followed Zoey Brooks — played by Jamie Lynn Spears — a teenage girl navigating her comedic and drama-filled life while studying at the Pacific Coast Academy. After four seasons of Zoey’s highs and lows, the show wrapped on its 61st episode when the cast graduated.

It ended with Zoey and Chase Matthews (played by Sean Flynn) finally coming together as a romantic pairing and they made plans to spend the summer in Hawaii. However, according to Zoey 102’s trailer, they didn’t last and the movie’s plot is about them reconnecting in their 30s.

Zoey 101 received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children’s Program in 2005.

Zoey 102 is a reunion of the show’s cast and the perfect excuse for Zoey and Chase to get back together

Spears and Flynn aren’t the only two Zoey 101 cast reprising their roles. According to the trailer, “The kids you loved are all grown up in a brand new movie 15 years in the making.”

It opens up with Zoey telling her longtime best friend Quinn Pensky (portrayed by Erin Sanders) that she had just been proposed to by a guy on their second date — signifying the tumultuous dating life she’s had since she and Chase broke up. Then, Quinn reveals to her that she was marrying another Zoey 101 alum, Logan Reese (played by Matthew Underwood) and asked if Zoey would be her Maid of Honor. This sets in motion a Pacific Coast Academy reunion, as well as Zoey and Chase on a collision course.

Zoey concocts a plan to hire someone to portray her boyfriend so she can take him to the wedding. The trailer cuts to Quinn and Logan’s festivities, and Zoey and Chase’s awkward reunion. Then, several scenes from Zoey 102 are shared, including the former lovebirds sitting on a beach with Zoey itting she’d “kill to go back to” Pacific Coast Academy, and the two running and holding hands.

Several other Zoey 101 staples will return in Zoey 102, including Christopher Massey’s Michael Barret, Abby Wilde’s Stacey Dillsen, and Jack Salvatore Jr.’s Mark Del Figgalo. Some new faces will star in the sequel as well, including Dean Geyer who plays Todd and Owen Thiele as Archer March.