Unfortunately, friendship wasn’t a gift for Maitland Ward and Danielle Fishel.
Following a renewed disagreement between the costars of “Boy Meets World” on Danielle, Will Friedle and Rider Strong, as discussed on their podcast “Pod Meets World”, Maitland suspects that this intense discussion was deliberately planned by the podcast’s hosts.
In her interview with The New York Post, published on February 27th, she expressed that Danielle, who played Topanga Lawrence for the entire series, intentionally tried to surprise or catch me off guard. Furthermore, she suggested that Danielle aimed to unsettle me, and indeed, she succeeded.
She went on to say, “What made the situation particularly painful for me is that maybe she was upset and chose to address it in such a way—yet Will had previously shown me the event as something exciting.
TopMob News has contacted representatives for Danielle, Will, and Rider in an attempt to get their comments, but have yet to receive a response.
Actually, it was Will, who portrayed Eric Matthews alongside Maitland’s Rachel McGuire, who extended the invitation since she had developed a stronger bond with him compared to Danielle and Rider.
She mused, “He’s consistently been a friend to me, I assumed. He served as my link. He would routinely reach out. We may not have been in daily contact, but we were friends. If he knew about this situation and didn’t inform me ahead of time, that’s really disappointing.
As I stepped into the sixth season of this popular show, I found myself unprepared for the intense emotional exchanges between Danielle and me. If only I had been given a heads-up beforehand, it would have allowed me time to gather my thoughts and approach these challenging conversations more effectively.
In his words, at 44 years old, he made it clear that he had no intention of initiating anything with her. Instead, they were only meant to engage in discussions. However, as the event unfolded, he found it peculiar that she didn’t bring up any topics, not even during their conversations.
The situation didn’t become tense until near the end of the episode. Despite the author of the explicit-rated book expressing readiness to resolve their disagreement, she feels that discussing it beforehand would have been ideal.
In that podcast episode, Maitland alleged that Danielle declined to communicate with her back in 2014 during the debut of “Girl Meets World.” Additionally, Maitland claimed that Danielle removed her as a friend on Facebook. However, Danielle, aged 43, disputed these claims by stating that neither event occurred.
As Danielle clarified, I’m not one who spends much time on Facebook. However, when Will shared about a touching message Maitland had sent years ago in 2022, I decided to revisit my account. Unfortunately, we weren’t friends there, and I couldn’t recall when or why our connection ended. Your heartfelt message was buried among the old ones, and finding it made me feel quite remorseful.
Only toward the end of the show did the situation become tense. The author of the explicit-rated book indicated that she was ready to resolve their disagreement, but felt it would have been better to discuss it earlier on.
Regarding what was discussed in the podcast episode, Maitland alleged that Danielle declined to speak with her back in 2014 during the launch of “Girl Meets World,” and also deleted her from Facebook. However, Danielle, aged 43, refuted these claims, stating she did neither.
Danielle clarified, stating she isn’t particularly fond of using Facebook. However, in 2022, when Will informed her about a touching message Maitland had sent years ago, she made an effort to reconnect. Upon entering her Facebook account, she realized they weren’t friends. She couldn’t recall the exact timeline of their friendship or its end on Facebook. She discovered your message in the archive of old messages, which left her feeling quite sorry for herself.
She went on saying, “I was touched by your kind message,” and then asked Will, “Will you kindly ask Maitland if I could have her contact details so I can make amends? However, you responded to Will saying, ‘Let’s hold off on that for the podcast. It would boost our ratings.’
However, not much was resolved between the two when the episode winded down.
Danielle summed it up by saying, “Our life experiences are completely distinct, yet equally valid, as we both have our unique perspectives.” She appreciated the opportunity to look back on the good memories and also the more challenging ones.
Read on to see all the feuds from the set of Boy Meets World.
Though Boy Meets World wasn’t a dramatic series, the podcast discussion between its stars Danielle Fishel (Topanga) and Maitland Ward (Rachel) was filled with drama. On the February 23, 2025 episode of Pod Meets World, they revealed that the conflict originated from a Facebook message Maitland sent to Danielle in 2013, congratulating her on her engagement to then-husband Tim Belusko and the Boy Meets World spin-off, Girl Meets World. However, Danielle claimed she didn’t see the message initially. It was only when Maitland brought up the message in media interviews years later that Danielle revisited her messages—finding it buried in a forgotten folder of DMs.
Danielle recounted asking fellow costar and podcast co-host Will Friedle (Eric) for Maitland’s phone number to apologize, but Maitland didn’t wish to discuss privately at the time—stating that Maitland told Will she would save their conversation for the podcast and “make headlines.” However, Maitland claimed she refused to speak to Danielle because she believed her apology was insincere.
Among Maitland’s evidence: The fact that Danielle had unfriended her on Facebook, which Danielle insisted she never intentionally did.
As a die-hard fan, let me share my take on their ongoing feud. Beyond what transpired between them, Maitland expressed in the podcast that Danielle seemed distant when they reunited for Girl Meets World in 2014 – an encounter I found heartbreaking since I thought they were friends, considering Danielle was invited to Maitland’s wedding back in 2006.
Danielle acknowledged there were no issues between them at the time but mentioned that their paths hadn’t crossed since the wedding. She added a bit of tension seemed to exist while working on Girl Meets World, but it wasn’t directed at Maitland.
Maitland speculated that Danielle was resentful due to the attention Maitland received in the adult entertainment industry at the time. However, Danielle clarified by pointing out her 2014 Maxim photoshoot as proof she didn’t harbor any ill feelings.
Things got a bit heated when Maitland accused Danielle, Will (their co-host), and Rider Strong of being negative on Pod Meets World and hating costars Ben Savage and Michael Jacobs (creator of Boy Meets World). Later, she backpedaled, stating they merely had disagreements.
The podcast hosts were quick to clarify that they didn’t harbor any hatred for Ben or Michael; rather, they were just sharing their experiences from the show.
When Maitland accused Danielle of trying to stir up drama for ratings, Danielle swiftly denied it – claiming it was Maitland who was seeking attention in this situation.
In conclusion, despite their differences, Danielle made it clear she doesn’t hold any ill feelings towards Maitland, saying, “I don’t hate Maitland, not even the slightest.
In the fourteen years since “Boy Meets World” concluded, Ben and Danielle returned to their roles of Cory and Topanga in “Girl Meets World,” a comedy series that centered around their daughter Riley (Rowan Blanchard), her friend Maya (Sabrina Carpenter), and their daily lives at home and school. This show aired on Disney Channel from 2014 to 2017, but Danielle mentioned on her podcast that it was a particularly challenging environment to work in.
In a February 2025 episode of “Pod Meets World”, she expressed, “To be clear, the joy we associated with ‘Boy Meets World’ didn’t translate to ‘Girl Meets World’. Frankly, it didn’t. I had hoped it would, but it fell short of my expectations. The atmosphere on set was turbulent. I felt isolated, criticized, and experienced a range of negative feelings while working there.” Disney declined to comment when TopMob News reached out for their take on the matter.
As a lifestyle advisor might say, much like Mr. Feeny once expressed, genuine friendships are a precious gift and they’re shared without any conditions or expectations of gratitude. In the year 2023, my friends Danielle, Rider, and Will found themselves in a peculiar situation with their long-time companion Ben, having not heard from him for three years. To put it simply, he vanished without a trace.
I can’t help but wonder why this happened, as Will confided, “There’s no clear reason to this day.” The trio didn’t have a disagreement or any animosity; it was as if Ben woke up one morning and decided that our friendship no longer mattered to him. After sending a message expressing my concern and vowing to call him daily until he responded, I persisted for around a month.
Danielle, much like myself, yearns for reconciliation with Ben. “Although Ben and I are currently estranged,” she shared, “I have always loved him and wish the best for him. I believe our story isn’t over, but only time will tell.”
Ben remains quiet on the matter, not responding to requests for comment from both Variety and TopMob News. Nevertheless, his former companions continue to harbor hope. As Will expressed in a 2025 episode of Pod Meets World, “Ben is one of the most significant people I’ve ever known in my life, and it pains me that he refuses to communicate with us.
In January 2020, Trina McGee, known as Angela on ‘Boy Meets World’, shared her experience of disrespect she faced during filming, including being referred to as “Aunt Jemima” on set. Later, she disclosed that Will, the actor who played the main character, was responsible for making the comment and that he apologized to her 22 years ago and again more recently in a lengthy letter.
She wrote on Instagram in April 2020: “We had a conversation about it, and he admitted that he wasn’t educated enough in his early twenties to understand that he was truly offending me. This situation should serve as a learning opportunity for everyone.”
Trina and Will eventually moved past the incident. She stated that Will apologized to her, she forgave him, and later she regretted making the matter public because Will’s comment was made out of ignorance rather than malice, which he also forgave.
In 2022, Will recalled on ‘Pod Meets World’ that at the time, he didn’t attach any cultural significance to Trina exiting her dressing room wearing a large red headscarf. He thought he was merely teasing her like he did with the rest of the cast and decided to make fun of her red hat.
“That’s as far as my uninformed, privileged mind saw it,” Will said. “So just before I went on stage for my part, I said ‘love your syrup’ thinking it was a clever joke, but it turned out to be hurtful.”
Trina informed Will that the joke wasn’t appropriate, and he was “ashamed”, noting that this moment had a lasting impact on him.
“You can’t casually make jokes assuming they’re harmless,” he said. “You might unintentionally cause pain to others.
In the podcast discussion, Trina and her co-stars clarified the circumstances surrounding her exit from Boy Meets World.
Trina’s final episode on the show was titled “Angela’s Ashes” back in 2000. Despite this, she didn’t appear in the series finale, which she assumed was a decision made by the rest of the cast.
During a 2022 episode of Pod Meets World, Trina revealed that she was informed indirectly by an influential person that the main cast had gone to Michael Jacobs and asked him not to include her in the last episode. The reason given was something along the lines of “she’s somehow taking our light” and “we don’t want her in the last episode.”
Trina felt hurt by this alleged competition for years. However, Danielle, Will, and Rider all denied that such a conversation ever took place. Danielle swore on her children, while Will swore on his marriage to disprove the rumor.
Will expressed his anger upon hearing the allegation, stating “I’m sorry, you say that’s competitiveness. That’s not competitiveness to me. That’s sociopathy,” before adding “This pisses me off.”
Trina eventually believed her co-stars, and they were able to reconcile. Trina expressed her feelings of trusting her co-stars, stating it felt good. She also mentioned that when one hears such things, the silence can grow and the situation can become exaggerated in one’s mind.
Later on, Trina added “I like trusting you. It feels really good.
Danielle has admitted to treating Trina unkindly during their time together on the set of Girl Meets World. In a tweet from June 2020, she acknowledged that her cold behavior towards Trina was the subject of her tweet about frosty greetings. The two had a conversation and Danielle apologized, which Trina graciously accepted. They discussed how they were often portrayed as rivals, particularly with regards to rumors surrounding Trina’s departure from the show. In a 2022 episode of Pod Meets World, Danielle explained that when Trina joined the cast, she had been under the impression that they were pitted against each other due to rumors about her role in the series finale of Boy Meets World. This led Trina to believe that Danielle disliked her or was trying to undermine her. After their private conversation, Danielle expressed regret that they hadn’t spoken sooner and wished they had been able to support each other through their shared struggles over the years. The main takeaway for Danielle is the importance of open communication and being willing to work together towards personal growth.
Following the departure of the original actress who played Topanga and Danielle Fishel’s casting, she experienced her first producer run-through and prepared for Michael Jacobs’ critique. On Pod Meets World in 2022, Fishel remembered that Michael began by saying, “Danielle, I’m going to give you all of my notes at once at the end, and I’ll give everyone else their notes now.” This was done in front of the entire cast, and she tearfully recalled that he went over each line with her and her mother, providing suggestions for improvement such as speaking more slowly. If she didn’t return the next day having made significant changes to her performance, Michael warned, she might also be let go, referring to the actress I had replaced.
Danielle and her mother practiced their lines until 3 or 4 a.m. to meet Michael’s expectations, which she said meant making him happy. After the network run-through the following day, Michael gave her a standing ovation. In a 2023 episode of Reel Talker, Michael expressed regret that Fishel felt her job was threatened and clarified that while it was true that her position was at risk, it wasn’t because of him. He stated that he was trying to save the role, which they ultimately did. Michael added that he had always believed in Danielle and still does.
In the 2024 documentary titled “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” it was disclosed that Will and Rider were among numerous celebrities who wrote letters in defense of dialogue coach Brian Peck.
Brian Peck was apprehended in 2003 and indicted for “lewd acts with a child,” as stated in an LAPD communique, “the minor’s family reported that Peck had molested the child.” In the documentary, Drake Bell confessed he was the victim.
According to NBC News’ account of the case, Brian pleaded no contest and was found guilty of “lewd or lascivious acts” and oral copulation of a minor. He was penalized with 16 months in prison.
In an episode of “Pod Meets World,” Will stated that Brian was trying to shift blame away from himself, but “the fault of his victim.” Rider mentioned that Brian “admitted to one thing,” yet he and Will were unaware of the full extent of the crimes for which Brian was convicted.
Will and Rider also attended court proceedings in support of Brian. As Will reminisced, they found themselves sitting in the courtroom on the wrong side of the case, surrounded by child actors, with the victim’s mother turning to them and saying, “Look at all the famous people you brought with you, and it doesn’t change what you did to my kid.” Will recalled feeling like he wanted to die, questioning his presence there.
Drake has since reconciled with Will and Rider, as Drake told Will in another podcast episode, “‘Before you say a word, I want you to know I love you and I forgive you.’
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2025-02-28 18:18