In 2013, much to the bewilderment of fans, “Victorious” was unexpectedly canceled. The series, which followed Tori Vega (played by Victoria Justice) and her friends at the fictional Hollywood Arts High School, was abruptly discontinued, leaving its audience guessing. Over time, various theories circulated online, suggesting reasons ranging from a partying cast to rumored tensions between Justice and co-star Ariana Grande.

However, no official confirmation ever surfaced regarding these speculations. The most plausible reason remains that Nickelodeon ended “Victorious” after three seasons because it had reached its natural conclusion. Schneider addressed the rumors on X, citing (via Deadline) the network’s typical run of around 60 episodes for most of its shows. “I would love to have made more than 60 of ‘Victorious,’ but that’s how it usually goes. We’re extremely proud of the show and all we’ve accomplished,” he stated.

Despite Schneider’s explanation, many fans remained dissatisfied and searched for other potential reasons for the show’s end. During this period, the “Victorious” world was undergoing changes, with Ariana Grande branching out into her own spinoff, “Sam & Cat,” alongside Jennette McCurdy from “iCarly.” It was rumored that this development frustrated Victoria Justice, allegedly leading her to opt out of a planned “Victorious” cast tour.

In contrast, Victoria Justice refuted these claims in 2015, asserting her innocence in the show’s cancellation. She clarified to E! News that she maintained a positive relationship with Nickelodeon executives and her co-stars. Justice explained, “The tour not happening had nothing to do with me as well, other people didn’t want to go on tour, it wasn’t just because I went on a solo tour.” Curious about what the “Victorious” cast is up to now? Click here to find out.

In fact, according to Us Weekly, those rumors came from Grande herself. She apparently wrote on ask.fm — a now-defunct social media site where people could ask each other questions anonymously — that she was annoyed by speculation about the cancellation. “The only reason ‘Victorious’ ended is because 1 girl didn’t want to do it,” she said. “She chose to do a solo tour instead of a cast tour.”

In 2015, however, Justice insisted that this was not correct, and that she was not to blame for her show being taken off the air. She told E! News, “I have a great relationship with all the Nickelodeon executives and my cast. And the tour not happening had nothing to do with me as well, other people didn’t want to go on tour, it wasn’t just because I went on a solo tour.” Click here if you’re curious where the cast of “Victorious” is now.

Just as Victoria Justice insisted fans shouldn’t blame her for the end of “Victorious,” Ariana Grande claimed on ask.fm that her spin-off “Sam & Cat” wasn’t to blame, either. “If we had done a cast tour Nickelodeon would have ordered another season of ‘Victorious’ while ‘Sam & Cat’ filmed simultaneously,” she insisted.

“Sam & Cat” wasn’t the only thing in Grande’s life that might have prevented her from continuing to appear on the Nickelodeon show that made her famous. Around that same time, she launched her solo career, which would quickly transform her into the mega-successful pop star we know and love today. It’s understandable that — as hits like “Love Me Harder” and “Break Free” climbed the charts — she might not have wanted to be dying her hair red and playing the ditzy Cat Valentine on television anymore.

Unlike “Victorious” and all those other Dan Schneider shows, “Sam & Cat” did not make it to three seasons. It was canceled after only one. Co-star Jennette McCurdy later wrote in her memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Is Dead” that the set was a toxic one, writing that “the Creator” had made her drink alcohol when she was underage. When “Sam & Cat” was canceled, McCurdy says she was offered $300,000 in hush money to never speak publicly about “the Creator,” which she turned down. For her part, Grande would go from Nickelodeon to “Wicked.”