Will Friedle Reacts to Ben Savage’s Absence From Reunion Documentary

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The Boy Meets World cast is wishing Ben Savage all the best.  

Will Friedle, who starred with Fred Savage, Danielle Fishel, and Rider Strong on the popular 90s sitcom, recently explained why his former co-star wasn’t involved in the Boy Meets World documentary.

At the premiere of Doc Meets World on June 6th, Friedle told TopMob News, in an interview with Fishel and Strong, that there’s still reason to be optimistic. While things haven’t changed, everyone needs to follow their own journey, and they’re all okay with that.

He explained that everyone ultimately reflects on their life in their own way. He stated that this approach was their collective decision, but Ben had chosen to do things differently.

But the door is open should Savage have a change of heart.  

“We love him,” Friedle continued, “and always will and there’s always hope.”

And Fishel is on the same page. As she added, “Couldn’t agree more.”

Doc Meets World documents the journey of Friedle, Fishel, and Strong as they tour the country with their hit podcast, Pod Meets World. Notably, Savage chose not to participate in the live tour.

Friedle, who starred as Eric Matthews, Savage’s brother on Boy Meets World, recently talked about why Savage has become distant from his former castmates.

Honestly, Ben is such a huge part of my life, and it really breaks my heart that he’s not talking to us. I said it on our podcast, Pod Meets World, back in February 2025 – it just comes down to the fact that he won’t speak to us, and it’s something I’ve been struggling with for a while now. It’s tough, especially working with Danielle and Will, because we all feel the same way.

The speaker explained they could provide message history from the last three years, and within one of those conversations, a friend named Ben suddenly ended the relationship. According to the speaker, Ben simply decided he no longer wanted contact with Will, without offering any explanation.

TopMob News previously reached out to Savage’s reps for comment but did not hear back.

In 2023, Friedle said the broken relationship was painful to discuss, explaining that he tried reaching out to Savage after she stopped responding.

I’ve known this guy since he was just a kid – eleven years old, to be exact – and we’ve been through a lot together. I really pushed to reconnect with him for months, but it just wasn’t happening. Eventually, my wife had to tell me to stop; she said I was only hurting myself because it was clear he didn’t want me around anymore.

Keep reading for a full breakdown of the Boy Meets World stars’ drama… 

—Reporting by Nikaline McCarley

As a huge Boy Meets World fan, I was really surprised to hear about the drama between Danielle Fishel (Topanga) and Maitland Ward (Rachel)! They talked about it on their podcast, Pod Meets World, and it all started with a Facebook message Maitland sent Danielle back in 2013 congratulating her on both her engagement and Girl Meets World. Apparently, Danielle didn’t see it at the time. It wasn’t until Maitland mentioned it in an interview years later that Danielle dug through her old DMs and finally found it.

Danielle tried to apologize, asking Will Friedle for Maitland’s number, but Maitland apparently didn’t want a private conversation, saying she’d rather discuss it on the podcast to get more listeners. But Maitland also said she didn’t think Danielle’s apology was sincere. She pointed to the fact that Danielle had unfriended her on Facebook, though Danielle claims she would never intentionally do that. It’s just so strange to hear about this behind-the-scenes stuff from a show I love!

The disagreement between Maitland Ward and Danielle Fishel continued on their podcast. Maitland felt hurt that Danielle barely spoke to her when they worked together on Girl Meets World in 2014, especially since she’d been invited to Danielle’s wedding in 2006 and believed they were friends. Danielle explained they hadn’t seen or spoken since the wedding and that she didn’t enjoy her time on Girl Meets World, but clarified it wasn’t because of Maitland.

Maitland then claimed Danielle was upset about the attention Maitland was receiving for her work in the adult entertainment industry, which Danielle denied, pointing out she had also posed for Maxim magazine in 2014.

Maitland also accused Danielle, Will Friedle, and their podcast cohost Rider Strong of being overly critical of their Boy Meets World costar Ben Savage and the show’s creator, Michael Jacobs, though she later softened this claim, saying they simply had disagreements. The podcast hosts insisted they weren’t harboring any hatred toward Ben or Michael, but were just sharing their experiences.

Finally, Maitland accused Danielle of trying to create drama for ratings, which Danielle refuted, claiming Maitland was the one seeking publicity. Despite the conflict, Danielle stated she doesn’t hate Maitland, “not even the slightest,” but also acknowledged they don’t need to be friends.

Fourteen years after Boy Meets World concluded, Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel returned as Cory and Topanga in Girl Meets World. This comedy series centered on their daughter, Riley (played by Rowan Blanchard), her friend Maya (Sabrina Carpenter), and their experiences navigating life at home and in school.

The show aired on Disney Channel from 2014 to 2017, but Danielle later described the production environment on her podcast as “very, very difficult.”

In a February 2025 episode of the Pod Meets World podcast, she explained that working on Girl Meets World wasn’t the same enjoyable experience as Boy Meets World. She’d hoped it would be, but it turned out to be a difficult and isolating environment. She felt criticized and uncomfortable while on set. TopMob News contacted Disney for a response, but they didn’t provide one.

According to Mr. Feeny, true friendship is a selfless gift, requiring neither expectation nor thanks. However, Danielle, Rider, and Will, who were once close with Ben, revealed to Variety in June 2023 that they hadn’t heard from him in three years, describing his disappearance as simply “ghosting” them.

Will explained they have no idea why Ben cut off contact, stating he just vanished. He admitted he still doesn’t understand it, saying, “We didn’t have a fight… He just woke up one day and decided I don’t want this person in my life anymore.” Will tried reaching out, even texting and calling daily for weeks, asking what had happened, but received no response.

Danielle expressed her continued affection for Ben and hope for reconciliation, despite any current disagreements. She believes their story isn’t over, but only time will tell.

Ben hasn’t publicly addressed the situation (nor responded to a request for comment from TopMob News), but his friends remain hopeful. In a February 2025 episode of Pod Meets World, Will shared that Ben is one of the most important people in his life and he’s deeply upset by the lack of communication.

In January 2020, Trina McGee, who played Angela on Boy Meets World, shared that she had experienced disrespect on set, including a racially insensitive remark. She later revealed that Will Smith had made the comment – comparing her headscarf to Aunt Jemima – and had apologized both 22 years prior and again recently in a lengthy letter.

McGee explained on Instagram in April 2020 that Smith acknowledged he hadn’t fully understood the impact of his words when he was younger. She hoped the situation could be a learning experience for others. They were able to resolve the issue, with both apologizing to each other – she for making the story public, and he for the initial joke, which he said came from a place of ignorance, not malice.

On his podcast Pod Meets World in 2022, Smith recalled seeing McGee wearing a red headscarf and, at the time, not recognizing any cultural significance to it. He thought he was playfully teasing her like he did with other cast members, so he made a joke about “syrup” as he passed her. McGee immediately told him the joke was inappropriate, and Smith said he was deeply embarrassed and that the moment was a turning point for him. He realized that even seemingly harmless jokes can be hurtful and that it’s important to consider the impact of your words.

On a recent podcast, Trina and her former castmates discussed why she left Boy Meets World. Her last episode aired in 2000, but she wasn’t included in the series finale. Trina had believed the rest of the cast had asked the show’s creator, Michael Jacobs, to exclude her, claiming they felt she was overshadowing them.

She shared that she was told they didn’t want her in the final episode because they felt she was taking attention away from them, a claim that deeply affected her for years. However, Danielle, Will, and Rider strongly denied ever having that conversation, with both Danielle and Will offering to swear on their families to prove it never happened.

Will was particularly upset by the suggestion, calling it “sociopathic” and expressing his anger. Trina ultimately believed their denial, and they were able to resolve the misunderstanding. She explained that once she had time to process the situation, the hurt began to fade. She ended by saying how much it meant to her to be able to trust them again.

Danielle Fishel has apologized to Trina McGee for her behavior during Trina’s guest appearance on Girl Meets World. In a 2020 post on X (formerly Twitter), Danielle admitted she was rude and distant to Trina, acknowledging a tweet Trina had made about receiving cold responses. They later spoke and Trina accepted her apology.

The two discussed how they were made to feel competitive, especially regarding rumors about Trina’s departure from Boy Meets World. Danielle explained on the Pod Meets World podcast that Trina believed they had conspired to keep her out of the Boy Meets World finale, and that Danielle’s coldness on set only reinforced that belief, leading Trina to feel they were always in competition.

After talking privately, both women realized they should have addressed the issue sooner. Danielle expressed regret that they hadn’t supported each other as they had during other difficult times, emphasizing the importance of open communication for personal growth and building better relationships.

When Danielle Fishel replaced the original actress who played Topanga, she faced a tough first impression with director Michael Jacobs. During her initial run-through, Michael told her he would save all his notes for last, explaining that giving feedback on her performance would take hours and delay everyone else. This happened in front of the entire cast and crew, and Danielle remembers being upset. Michael then went through each of her lines with her and her mother, pointing out areas for improvement, like slowing down her delivery, and even referencing the actress she replaced. Danielle and her mom practiced until the early hours of the morning, determined to meet Michael’s expectations. The next day, after a network run-through, Michael gave her a standing ovation. While Danielle felt her job was at risk, Michael later explained on a podcast that he was actually trying to save her performance, and that she ultimately saved it herself. He emphasized that he always believed in her, and still does.

The 2024 documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV revealed that Will and Rider were among those who wrote letters supporting Brian Peck, a dialogue coach accused of abuse. Brian Peck was arrested in 2003 and charged with molesting a child, later identified in the documentary as Drake Bell. Court documents show he pleaded no contest to charges of lewd and lascivious acts and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Both Will and Rider described how Peck attempted to deflect blame onto the victim. They also admitted they didn’t fully understand the severity of his crimes when they appeared in court to support him. Will recalled a particularly painful moment in court, where the victim’s mother pointed out the number of celebrities present and emphasized it didn’t excuse Peck’s actions, leaving him feeling horrified and questioning his presence there.

Drake Bell has since spoken with both Will and Rider, and has forgiven them. He reportedly told Will, “Before you say a word, I want you to know I love you and I forgive you.”

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2026-06-08 18:18