Miranda Cosgrove Turned to Pierson Fode to Spark Jealousy in Her Ex

Miranda Cosgrove got a little payback on an ex-boyfriend while starring alongside Pierson Fodé in The Wrong Paris.

“[Pierson is] just ridiculously cute, but I was going through a breakup right before filming this movie,” Cosgrove, 32, shared in a clip from the upcoming episode of The Drew Barrymore Show airing on Wednesday, September 24. “He’s such a great guy. We’re really close friends now, and he even let me post him on my [Instagram] Stories to suggest we were, like, dating. Of course, I didn’t actually say we were, but it really bothered my ex.”

Barrymore, 50, commended Cosgrove for her clever approach, calling it “cute and fun and a nice way to handle it,” and then asked the iCarly star for “some tips” on getting back at past flames. “Absolutely,” Cosgrove replied. “You can borrow Pierson if you ever need!”

In The Wrong Paris, which premiered on Netflix earlier this month, Cosgrove plays Dawn, a country girl who mistakenly believes she’s on a reality dating show in Paris, France, only to discover it takes place in Paris, Texas. Although she plans to get herself eliminated, things become complicated when she realizes that the bachelor, played by Fodé, is actually the guy she connected with on the dance floor a few evenings prior.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Cosgrove stated it was “obvious” that Fodé was perfect for the part from the start.

“There was no doubt,” she explained during the September interview. “Generally, I’m always the one auditioning… but having this experience made everything clearer. It’s like, ‘How do they know this person is right for the role?’ But it was just so evident. We had a connection from the beginning.”

Fodé praised Cosgrove as “so great” and “easy” to work with, adding, “She absolutely nailed it throughout the movie.”

Regarding their off-screen chemistry, Cosgrove mentioned that she and Fodé had some time together before filming started.

“The chemistry was instant when we first met, but definitely grew stronger in the first couple of weeks we spent in Canada horseback riding together,” she reminisced, explaining that one specific activity brought them closer. “I had to learn to lasso him,” she chuckled. “If you really want to connect with someone, try learning to lasso them.”

While she didn’t name her ex during the chat with Barrymore on Tuesday, Cosgrove has typically kept her romantic life private. She’s been linked to Noah Centineo, James Maslow, and Nat Wolff in the past, with her most recent rumored relationship being with tennis player Taylor Fritz.

During her appearance on Whitney Cummings’ “Good for You” podcast in August 2020, Cosgrove discussed an ex who “had a kid,” “was married at one point,” and would often shush her during their time together. (Fritz, 27, notably tried to quiet fans who booed him at the 2023 French Open.)

When Cummings inquired about what the mystery man did for a living, Cosgrove replied, “He played tennis.”

Fodé has also had past relationships; he was previously linked to Victoria Justice from 2013 to 2015 and later rumored to be dating Sharna Burgess in 2017. He started a relationship with Saxon Sharbino, but their current status remains uncertain.