Prolific Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider, whose bad behavior and poor leadership is at the center of the recent Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, is clapping back at the documentary's producers with a lawsuit for defamation.

He admits some of the claims about his on-set behavior made in the doc may be true, but insists one is definitely not — he feels he was unfairly lumped in with the two child sexual abusers detailed in the doc and thus was falsely accused of being a child sexual abuser himself.

TMZ exclusively obtained the defamation lawsuit, which is leveled at the numerous creative parties involved with Quiet on Set — including Warner Bros. Discovery, Maxine Productions, Sony Pictures Television and others.

Schneider's legal team called the docuseries a “hit job” and said the producers used manipulative editing techniques to imply a connection between Schneider and the two convicted sex offenders. The suit further alleges the defendants did all this for “clickbait, ratings, and views — or simply put, money.”

“Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself,” the court filing reads.

What part of the Quiet on Set accusations does Dan Schneider admit to?

Schneider did admit to TMZ that some of the claims made about him in Quiet on Set were valid. “Recently the docuseries Quiet on Set highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon, most of which happened decades ago during my early career as a producer, working on shows for Tollin/Robbins Productions,” he explained.

“There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader,” Schneider continued. “I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it.”

Schneider goes on to explain he felt the need to go ahead with legal action to protect his name against the other charges. “They went beyond reporting the truth and falsely implied that I was involved in or facilitated horrific crimes for which actual child predators have been prosecuted and convicted,” Schneider said.

He continued, “I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators.”

The lawsuit points to the trailer for the docuseries, as well as instances from several episodes as grounds for the suit.

Schneider famously created many of Nickelodeon's hit tween series from the late 90s and early 2000s, such as The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly and Victorious. Schneider's toxic and volatile leadership style was an open secret in Hollywood, and he was unceremoniously fired from Nickelodeon in 2018 after the rise of the #MeToo movement.

Dan Schneider is suing for defamation and seeking an undisclosed amount of damages, which includes punitive damages. He claims he's suffered mental distress and financial losses due to Quiet on Set. The producers have yet to respond to the lawsuit.