Maitland Ward says she was 'set up' and 'betrayed' by 'Boy Meets World' co-stars in toxic fallout
It's been over a year since Maitland Ward found herself in a heated exchange with "Boy Meets World" co-stars Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will Friedle. While the adult film star — who first found fame as Jessica Forrester in "The Bold and the Beautiful," and later Rachel McQuire in the beloved ‘90s Disney TV show — has since moved on, she still feels "betrayed" by her former colleagues.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Ward, who recently exposed the dark truths behind child stardom in an episode of Investigation Discovery's "Hollywood Demons," opened up about that fiery interaction on the "Pod Meets World" podcast in February 2025 and gave an update on where she stands with her former co-stars today.
"We have not spoken at all. There's been no contact, except when I offered my support [for Fishel during her 'Dancing with the Stars' run] and everything. But there's been no ill will either," said Ward. "There's been no fighting or anything. It's just, we have not spoken, those three. [We're] in a place where we are not connected right now, and it's sad."
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"I still feel betrayed by the situation because I do think I was set up for reasons that only they can explain," she continued. "But, and I was taken very much off guard in that situation. And it makes me sad. I just wish that there was a way that we could all come together and not be in this bad place. But it's just, we're in no place right now. I guess that's what it is."
WATCH: MAITLAND WARD STILL FEELS ‘BETRAYED’ BY ‘BOY MEETS WORLD’ CO-STARS IN TOXIC FALLOUT
During an episode of the "Pod Meets World" podcast last year, hosts and former co-stars Fishel, Strong and Friedle welcomed Ward to discuss their shared experiences on the show. However, when Fishel asked Ward if she hated them, things took a turn for the worse.
"No, I do not hate you," said Ward. "I think that you hate me because you wouldn't speak to me on ‘Girl Meets World’ (the Disney Channel spin-off of ‘Boy Meets World’), and that was hurtful."
"You had an attitude about it. There was some beef between us, and I didn’t get it," she later added. "I didn’t know if you thought I was trying to steal attention… I was genuinely confused why we wouldn’t be good."
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Fishel admitted that "Girl Meets World" — which she starred in alongside Ben Savage (who played her longtime love, Cory Matthews, in "Boy Meets World"), Sabrina Carpenter and Rowan Blanchard — was a "very difficult set" to be on.
"Let’s put it this way, the memories we have of the fun set of ‘Boy Meets World’ were not the memories of the fun set of ‘Girl Meets World,'" she said. "I went into it expecting it to be, and it wasn’t. It was a rather tumultuous place. 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."
After some more heated back and forth, Ward said, "Let’s be honest about this. You’re trying to go at me now to get the ratings because you know that people will be interested. I just wanted to remember the good times."
"I’m not the one who wanted to go for ratings… This is what you asked for," Fishel responded.
After saying their goodbyes, Fishel said Ward's decision to come on the podcast seemed like "an opportunity for her to get press by having conflict."
"Similarly to the way she decided when ‘Girl Meets World’ and all that stuff was in the press, that was an opportunity for her to make a name for herself in cosplay play and in role-playing, she felt like this was an opportunity for her to get press by having conflict, which I am just not your girl to do that," Fishel said of the heated exchange. "And she thought it was disingenuous for me to reach out to her. I think wanting to do it for stats is disingenuous."
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Shortly after that appearance, Ward told Fox News Digital that she felt "bullied" by her former friends, and claimed it was a "very toxic" situation.
"I felt [bullied] because it was three against one, really four because [Fishel's] husband is the producer," she said. "So it was like I was surrounded by — I really felt surrounded, and it's weird because they were my friends in the past, and just imagine stepping back into a high school situation or college or whatever, and you see old friends, and then all of a sudden every single grievance you ever had with them is fresh on their minds, and they want to just come at you. So it felt like a very toxic situation."
"I did not create the conflict on that show," she continued. "I was not trying to create conflict. And I think it's funny that she says I tried to create the conflict from it, to get press when she tried to create the conflict for this show to get press and views and listens and everything for the podcast."
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"I wasn't going to benefit financially from that show," she added. "So I think she's very two-faced in that situation. I think she doesn't enjoy that I have had success from ‘Boy Meets World’ like that. And I think she should be reminded that I get attention for other things that I do too."
WATCH: ‘BOY MEETS WORLD’ STAR MAITLAND WARD SAYS DANIELLE FISHEL CREATED ‘TOXIC’ ENVIRONMENT DURING HEATED PODCAST EXCHANGE
Though Ward hasn't had any interaction with the trio, she did offer Fishel an olive branch of sorts when she publicly supported her during her "DWTS" stint last year.
"It really was a genuine moment," Ward told Fox News Digital of her words of encouragement to Fishel shortly after she was eliminated. "And when [TMZ] asked me, I'm like, 'Yes, of course I support her. I love people stepping outside of their comfort zone, and especially women doing something that they're excited about and love. I have nothing but love for her and for the experience that we had together on the show."
Ward said the feud between her costars resulted in a "very strange year."
"We had a lot of conflict last year, of course, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't support her and support her in anything that she does," she said. "And that was actually genuine from my heart ... I don't wish her ill or anything. It's sad that we are in a place where we're not friends or not able to come together on that level, but I'm still going to support her."
"No matter what, we are always going to be connected in this way that can never split us apart," she added. "And it's kind of, it's like a family where, you know, maybe you don't get along all the time with your cousin or something or, you know, but you're always connected as this family. And I think that's really important. And it's important for the audience to know that, yeah, we'll always be together on some level. But I definitely want to support women in anything they do. And I wish her nothing but love."