Jennette McCurdy explains why she was 'jealous' of Ariana Grande: 'Much easier upbringing'

foxnews.com:

Jennette McCurdy shared why she was "jealous" of Ariana Grande while being a Nickelodeon star. In her new memoir, "I’m Glad My Mom Died," McCurdy, 30, got candid about her "Sam & Cat" co-star.

McCurdy referred to Grande as a "burgeoning pop star" who "regularly" missed filming. According to McCurdy, Grande was absent "to go sing at award shows, record new songs, and do press for her upcoming album," while she was left to "angrily hold down the fort." Jennette McCurdy shared why she was "jealous" of Ariana Grande while filming their Nickelodeon show "Sam & Cat." (Photo by Jesse Grant) "Sam & Cat" aired for only one season during 2013-2014, and after the show's cancellation, Nickelodeon offered the former actress $300,000 to keep her experiences at the network private, McCurdy said.

She refused the offer. McCurdy, who played Sam Puckett on "iCarly," sympathized with Grande but was still upset because she was not given the same opportunities, according to the star. "I booked two features during ‘iCarly’that I had to turn down because the ‘iCarly’ team wouldn’t write me out of episodes to go shoot them," she said.

At first, Grande’s absences were sporadic but eventually, the actress and singer reportedly missed an entire week on set. Jennette McCurdy, left, and Ariana Grande co-starred on Nickelodeon's "Sam and Cat." (Getty Images) "The week where I was told Ariana would not be here at all, and that they would write around her absence this episode by having her character be locked in a box.