‘Boy Meets World’ Stars Daniel Fishel and Maitland Ward Clash on ‘Pod Meets World’

Former “Boy Meets World” co-stars Danielle Fishel and Maitland Ward showcased a masterclass in awkwardness during a recent episode of the “Pod Meets World” podcast.

In the February 24 episode, Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle welcomed Ward as their latest guest. Ward joined “Boy Meets World” as Rachel McGuire in 1998 during the sixth season, where her character became a roommate to Eric Matthews (Friedle) and Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence). At the beginning of the episode, the former cast members discussed Ward’s transition to becoming an adult film star and an OnlyFans model.

However, it was Fishel’s bold question to Ward later in the episode that set the tone for the dialogue: “Do you hate us?”

“No, I don’t hate you,” Ward replied candidly. “There’s some tension between us. Maybe I misread the signals, but definitely, there was some kind of awkwardness.”

“And what do you think that was?” Fishel pressed.

The dialogue intensified when Ward alleged that Fishel felt jealous of her during their reunion years later for “Girl Meets World,” the Disney Channel sequel to “Boy Meets World.”

“You didn’t appreciate that I was receiving a lot of attention at that time and carving out my own space,” Ward asserted, a claim that Fishel quickly refuted.

“I was on the cover of Maxim in 2014,” she responded. “I wasn’t upset at all.”

Amidst overlapping conversations, the two actresses expressed unresolved disputes, including Ward’s assertion that Fishel had unfriended her on Facebook and Fishel’s claim that Ward was seeking publicity during the podcast. As they continued to dig deeper, the tension became palpable, with Fishel accusing Ward of critiquing the podcast to TMZ.

“It seems like whenever the podcast is making headlines, there’s a follow-up TMZ interview with you,” Fishel stated. “How do those happen, by the way?”

“They come and find me; they catch me on the streets,” Ward replied. “Are you trying to suggest something?”

“I’m just curious because it appears that every time we’re in the news, shortly after, there’s an interview with you on TMZ,” Fishel clarified.

As Fishel continued to inquire about her TMZ interviews, Ward remarked, “I don’t see why this feels like an interrogation right now?”

More discord surfaced when Ward mentioned, “I think there’s a divide because you guys dislike Ben (Savage), and you guys are not fond of (‘Boy Meets World’ creator) Michael (Jacobs).”

“Ben is one of the most significant people I’ve ever encountered, and it frustrates me that he won’t communicate with us,” Friedle interjected, adding, “And that’s the crux of it: he won’t talk to us.”

When Ward accused Fishel of only inviting her for ratings, Fishel retorted, “I’m not the one chasing ratings here.”

At one point, Ward lost her connection and exited the discussion. A producer asked Friedle to message her to ensure it wasn’t intentional, and shortly thereafter, Ward rejoined.

Ultimately, the podcasters and Ward concluded with a friendly, if somewhat awkward, farewell, with the hosts suggesting that Ward return for another episode.

“Thanks for joining us, Maitland,” Fishel said. “It was great to chat with you. We shared some good moments and some not-so-great ones.”

Ward replied as she signed off, “Thanks.”

However, once Ward left and only the three hosts remained for a recap, Friedle remarked, “I don’t like when things feel tense.”

“I know,” Fishel agreed, reiterating that Ward was using their tension to gain publicity.

“I don’t hate Maitland, not one bit,” she concluded. “We’ll definitely have her back on the podcast. Does that mean Maitland and I need to exchange numbers and text each other? Absolutely not. We don’t need that, and that’s perfectly fine.”