Jennette McCurdy’s sitcom on hold after selfie scandal, KCA no-show

So what’s going on with Jennette McCurdy? The costar of “Sam & Cat,� a show spun off from Nickelodeon’s “iCarly,� was absent over the weekend from the Kids’ Choice Awards — and now her live-action comedy has apparently gone on hiatus unexpectedly.

Skipping the fan-voted KCAs is no biggie, right? Unless you’re scheduled to be there, and your show is so hot it wins top TV comedy, which the popular “Sam & Cat� did, and your costar is so hot she wins top TV actress, which Ariana Grande did.

Initial speculation was that the 21-year-old McCurdy had stayed off the red carpet because of sexy lingerie selfies that were leaked online at the beginning of March (more on that later), but the Nickelodeon star went on social media the night of the awards to say that wasn’t so.

Then on Wednesday it came out that production of the show had gone on hiatus Monday, possibly before its 40-episode order was finished. It also appears that a second-season renewal isn’t a sure thing.

“We are wrapping up what was an unusually long production cycle of ‘Sam & Cat,’ and everyone is understandably tired. We are going into our production hiatus next week, which will give everyone on the show a much-needed rest,� a Nick spokesperson said in a statement obtained by the Hollywood Reporter.

That news about the show gave McCurdy’s Saturday tweets some context.

“A lot of you guys are asking why I didn’t attend the KCAs.... I wish I could explain everything as thoroughly as I would like to, but unfortunately a simpler explanation is all I can write,� she’d said Saturday via TwitLonger. “I was put in an uncomfortable, compromising, unfair situation (many of you have guessed what it is) and I had to look out for me. I chose to not go because sticking up for what is right and what is fair is what my mom taught me is ALWAYS the most important thing. I want to thank those of you who have reached out with kind words of support, McCurdians and Arianators alike. No matter who or what you support, I believe in supporting fairness first. If you have done that, thank you.�

She then added, “My previous tweet has nothing to do with pics leaked.oh you guys lol� and said, “It has to do with how nickelodeon treated me. That’s all. Thanks for the love.�

Could the “simpler explanation� be as simple as — money? That’s what TMZ reported Wednesday, with sources saying that Grande has been getting paid quite a bit more than McCurdy, leading the latter to try to renegotiate her contract. The website said McCurdy had no problem personally with her costar, just with the difference in their Nickelodeon paychecks. If that’s it, the disconnect was apparently big enough for the show to slam on the brakes.

So back to those don’t-blame-us sexy selfies, in case you missed the hubbub. McCurdy isn’t naked in the three shots that hit the interwebs March 2, but the pics do show off her assets as well as rather lovely taste in underthings. (That previous link will lead you to the photos, should you care to view.)

“To anyone disappointed: I sent those pics to 1 person. You can connect the dots. Shocked someone would stoop so low. I just speak w/ candor,� the actress said on Twitter a couple of days later.

The invitation to “connect the dots� has resulted in speculation that ex-boyfriend Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons was the culprit. (The two met in person over the Labor Day weekend last year after first meeting on Twitter. The two broke up in October.)

Then in late February, McCurdy apparently bagged on Drummond, 20, in a podcast, and days later the pics showed up online along with a Vine from the NBA player in which he says, “Sometimes you gotta live and learn by the mistakes you make. You gotta move on and keep pushing.�

Draw your own conclusions. Let’s hope for the sake of “Sam & Cat� fans that the network takes that “keep pushing� advice rather than deciding “you gotta move on.�

ALSO:

Kim Kardashian chased away from a selfie? Say it ain’t so!

Miley Cyrus’ dog dies; singer mourns on Twitter as #RIPFLoyd trends

Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Henry Cavill broke up, but the paparazzi stayed

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.