Every 90s kid saw Cory and Topanga on Boy Meets World as the perfect couple, but Danielle Fishel admitted that she had a crush on a different cast member on an episode of Pod Meets World on Thursday, October 26. Danielle, 42, looked back on her crush on Rider Strong, 43, on their podcast, as she read from her teenage diary.
Danielle, who played Topanga on the sitcom, hilariously quoted her diary and revealed a moment where she wrote about her grievances with Rider, who played Shawn. “I had the s**ttiest day. First of all, school was boring, rehearsal sucks, and Rider was antisocial,” she read from the diary. As her castmates and co-hosts (Rider and Will Friedle) laughed, Danielle explained why she was so let down about her co-star being antisocial. “Realize, [it] bummed me out, because I had a crush on Rider,” she said.
Danielle continued and said that at the time, she was crushing on three guys, whose names she wrote at the bottom of the page. “Something also that should be noted for teenage Danielle in my diary says at the bottom: ‘I love Landon and Rider and David,” she wrote. She explained that Landon was a classmate, but she had “no idea” who David was. “I had no problem writing the multiple people that I was in love with. There was not just one person.”
Rider laughed as he questioned Danielle about the crush. “Why did you have a crush on me? I was so antisocial,” he said. The Boy Meets World alums discussed the two teen stars other relationships during their time on the show, like Danielle’s “off and on” romance with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Rider’s relationship with Rachael Leigh Cook.
Danielle also revealed that her teen self had some complicated emotions about Rider and Rachael’s relationship, given her crush. “Then, Rider and Rachel got all lovey-dovey, and it made me want to puke,” she quoted herself. “Then, they kissed, and it looked so cute.”
The Boy Meets World actress had first revealed her teenage crush on Rider during an episode of their podcast back in August. Rider revealed that he had no idea until she had said so on the podcast, 30 years after the fact. Danielle continued and said that her crush lasted between the end of season 1 and the start of season 2.
In the August episode, Danielle proceeded to explain what it was that she liked about Rider. “He was so smart. You know one of my favorite things about Rider, and it still stands to this day, Rider is very effusive. He will tell you how he feels and he’s very free with his compliments, but he doesn’t throw them out willy-nilly. When Rider compliments you it is thoughtful, it has meaning, and you can tell…it’s coming from a very real place,” she said.