Once upon a time, Boy Meets World was the wholesome, coming-of-age sitcom that had 90s kids glued to their screens. Fast forward a couple of decades, and one of its former stars, Maitland Ward, has carved out a wildly different career path—trading in the TGIF lineup for the adult entertainment industry. Now, she’s facing off with her old co-stars in a battle of words, nostalgia, and unresolved tension.
Pod Meets Drama: The Feud Unfolds
The “Pod Meets World” podcast, hosted by Danielle Fishel (Topanga), Will Friedle (Eric), and Rider Strong (Shawn), recently invited Ward (Rachel McGuire) to reflect on their shared past. What should have been a stroll down memory lane turned into a verbal showdown worthy of a reality TV finale.
“Do You Hate Us?”
Fishel threw the first punch—well, verbally—asking Ward point-blank, “Do you hate us?”
Ward, never one to back down, fired right back: “No, I do not hate you. I think that you hate me because you wouldn’t speak to me on ‘Girl Meets World,’ and that was hurtful.”
For those who don’t keep up with Disney Channel reboots, “Girl Meets World” was the short-lived sequel to the 90s classic, and it turns out Ward had a less-than-warm welcome when she visited the set.
The Cold Shoulder Treatment
Ward didn’t hold back, accusing her former castmates of giving her the silent treatment. “You had an attitude about it. There was some beef between us, and I didn’t get it. I thought we were friends.”
Fishel, now 43 and probably over the drama, downplayed the tension. “I was working. It was a stressful environment.”
Sure, stress happens, but Ward wasn’t buying it, and neither were the listeners glued to their headphones, sipping the piping-hot tea.
Maitland Ward: From TGIF to XXX
Since leaving the world of laugh tracks and family-friendly hijinks, Ward has become an OnlyFans sensation, amassing 2.3 million subscribers and a booming career in adult entertainment. She’s not shy about her journey either, chronicling it in her memoir Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood.
But Ward wasn’t about to let her career choice become the scapegoat for why things got awkward between her and her former colleagues. “You’re just trying to go at me for the ratings,” she accused.
Fishel’s clapback? “No Maitland, sorry. I’m not doing this for ratings. This is what you asked for.”
Ouch.
The Ben Savage Ghosting Saga
If that wasn’t enough behind-the-scenes drama, the podcast also touched on the mysterious absence of Ben Savage, who played the show’s central character, Cory Matthews. According to Friedle, the 44-year-old has been completely MIA from his former castmates.
“Ben is one of the most private people I’ve ever met. But the truth is, he won’t speak to us.”
Cue the speculation: is Savage just over the nostalgia circuit, or is there more to the story?
So, Where Do They Stand Now?
By the end of the heated exchange, Fishel softened her stance and extended an olive branch, apologizing to Ward for how things went down.
“I felt very ostracized. I felt very criticized. I felt a lot of different things being on that set… I am sorry that you thought I had something personally against you.”
And just like that, the door was left open for a possible sequel to this podcast drama. Will Ward return for round two? Will Savage ever break his silence? One thing’s for sure: 90s nostalgia just got a hell of a lot more interesting.
Last modified: February 26, 2025
