‘Boy Meets Word’ star Maitland Ward claims Danielle Fishel created ‘toxic’ environment during podcast exchange
Maitland Ward opened up about the "very toxic" situation she found herself in with Danielle Fishel and other co-stars while appearing on the "Pod Meets World" podcast on Monday.
After reflecting on her recent heated exchange with former "Boy Meets World" co-star Danielle Fishel, Maitland Ward has some thoughts.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Ward - who portrayed Rachel McQuire in the later seasons of the beloved '90s TV show - opened up about the "very toxic" situation she found herself in while appearing on the "Pod Meets World" podcast on Monday.
"I never expected the turn it was going to take, ever," said Ward, who was bluntly asked by Fishel if she hated her former co-stars during the episode. "And I was not going to come in there and start going at Danielle or start rehashing things like she said that I was plotting to do because you can see I was just sitting there, and all of a sudden she just flips."
'BOY MEETS WORLD' ACTRESS MAITLAND WARD SLAMS CO-STAR AS 'DISINGENUOUS' DURING FIERY EXCHANGE
During the episode, Ward joined hosts and former co-stars Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will Friedle to discuss their shared experience 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, who has since found success as an adult film star. "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."
Ward told Fox News Digital that she felt "bullied" by her former friends and co-stars, and claims 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 continued. "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."
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Later in the episode, Fishel asked Ward why she had spoken negatively about the cast in the past, to which Ward responded, "Are you trying to accuse me of using you, or are you trying to accuse me of something?"
"I think there’s a divide, too, because you hate Ben (Savage) and you guys hate (creator) Michael (Jacobs)," she added.
"Ben is one of the most important people I’ve ever met in my life, and I can’t stand the fact that he won’t speak to us," Friedle responded.
"And that’s what it is: He won’t speak to us," he said. "I can show you the last three years, literally, of messages, and in the middle of a conversation with Ben, he just bailed on me. Ben absolutely one day woke up and said, ‘I don’t want Will in my life’ and never told me why."
When Fishel asked Ward if she listens to their podcast on a regular basis, she said, "No," but claimed it focuses on a lot of "negative stuff."
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"The same way you wrote your book about your experiences doesn’t mean that they’re negative," said Fishel, who referenced Ward's 2022 memoir. "They’re just experiences. So you don’t listen to the podcast regularly, but your overall opinion of it is that we are negative about Michael and Ben and the show."
"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," Ward said.
"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 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."
Ward had a different point of view.
HOW TO AVOID 'TINDER SWINDLERS': ‘BOY MEETS WORLD' STAR-TURNED-ADULT ACTRESS MAITLAND WARD ON 'RED FLAGS'
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I did not create the conflict on that show," she told Fox News Digital. "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."
"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."
Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Fishel, Strong and Friedle for comment.
Despite the heated back-and-forth, Ward said she wouldn't be opposed to returning to the podcast to discuss everything in a productive manner.
"I'm not a coward to that," she said. "I will come back and do it, but it needs to be done in a more positive way I guess."
"I just wish we would've been able to talk it out in a way that was, in a way that the audience could have been brought in and have it be a positive situation where we could have learned from each other and the audience could have grown with us in that situation," she added. "It should have been that."
Christina Dugan Ramirez is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/022425-amy-adams-and-jlo-pants-soc-bb7986feb6024ccf9611b218f9b61307.jpg)
Jennifer Lopez and Amy Adams wore wide-leg trousers. Shop the trending spring pants from Amazon, Gap, Zara, Nordstrom, and more, starting at $37.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/022425-amy-adams-and-jlo-pants-soc-bb7986feb6024ccf9611b218f9b61307.jpg&description=Jennifer Lopez and Amy Adams’s Comically Big Pants Are My Spring Obsession Jennifer Lopez and Amy Adams wore wide-leg trousers. Shop the trending spring pants from Amazon, Gap, Zara, Nordstrom, and more, starting at $37. %23jenniferlopez) |
 |
 |
Carrie Coon has been married to playwright Tracy Letts since 2013 and they share two children
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The ‘Boy Meets World’ cast have feuded with each other over the years including Danielle Fishel, Maitland Ward and more
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Tom Hardy is known for being a sometimes terrifyingly committed actor, but hasn't always seen eye to eye with his collaborators.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
In an emotional tribute, Jennifer Lopez revealed she's been reeling since the unexpected death of her dear friend and stylist Jesus Guerrero.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
I don't need to be the millionth person to tell you that 'Star Wars' has always been political, but...
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
‘Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy’ looks into the ‘Friends’ star’s rise to fame and his harrowing final days
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Jennifer Lopez's fashion choices continue to leave us inspired. Shop 15 turtlenecks J.Lo would no doubt approve of, all from Amazon.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Kanye 'Ye' West and The Game just teased a track about Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles. Here's what West posted.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The NBC News anchor shares her two kids with husband Michael Feldman
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Meghan Markle had announced she has rebranded her lifestyle venture - and the alteration could allow the Duchess of Sussex to send produce across the globe for sales
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Find out why a former Palace employee thinks Meghan Markle doesn't stand a chance at having a successful lifestyle brand.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A PR expert has revealed what could happen if Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were to attend the 2025 Oscar Awards this Sunday.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
"The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart injured his hand while smashing down a mug during a rant against tax breaks for pharmaceutical companies and how DOGE is not going after them.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The pair strengthened their friendship through their faith
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.