Danielle Fishel's Playful Banter on 'Antisocial' Rider Strong and Admiring Rachael Leigh Cook

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Danielle Fishel didn’t hold back when revisiting her crush on Rider Strong — and her jealousy of this then-girlfriend, Rachael Leigh Cook.

On the Thursday, October 26th episode of "Pod Meets World," Fishel, who is now 42, took a nostalgic trip by reading an old diary she wrote in 1996 which she had recently found. In one particular entry from February of that year, she recounted a day when she was compelled to spend time with Strong, who is currently 43, and Cook, who is now 44, while they were in a romantic relationship.

"I had the worst day. Firstly, school was dull, rehearsals were terrible, and Rider was not sociable," Fishel read out from her journal, causing Strong and their fellow cohost, Will Friedle, to burst into laughter. "That's a rather polite way of saying I was in a bad mood," Strong responded with a witty remark.

Fishel expressed her disappointment with Strong's lack of social interaction, as she had a strong crush on him at that time. When Friedle questioned whether Fishel had feelings for Strong while dating Jonathan Taylor Thomas, whom she famously dated in the mid-'90s, Fishel clarified that there was no overlap.

"We were not exactly dating at that time, as we had an on-again, off-again relationship throughout the years," she explained. Fishel mentioned that her diary entry ended with her professing her love for three different boys. "I love Landon and Rider and David," she read, admitting that she has no idea who David is, but she went to high school with Landon.

Fishel proceeded to read another passage, reflecting her conflicting emotions towards Cook, who had been romantically involved with Strong during the late 90s.

"Next, we attended our acting class, but we had to wait for Rachael," Fishel recounted, emphasizing her annoyance by underlining the name "Rachael." "Then Rider and Rachael became affectionate towards each other, making me feel nauseous. However, when they kissed, it appeared adorable. Rachael is actually quite kind and cool, but I genuinely have strong feelings for Rider. I'm uncertain if she is the right match for him, or if I am for that matter."

Rider Strong and Danielle Fishel on “Boy Meets World” ABC/YouTube

While Strong acknowledged Fishel's reasonable behavior towards her crush, even going as far as complimenting Cook despite her obvious jealousy, Friedle was taken aback by the authenticity of her emotions for Strong.

On the other hand, Strong claimed to have no knowledge of Fishel's feelings towards him, attributing it to their close relationship during that period of time.

"He mentioned that we hung out in '96 because I was able to drive, which allowed us to spend quality time together," he stated. "During that period, I recall you coming over to my apartment frequently. So, it seems like we were indeed spending a significant amount of time together."

Fishel first disclosed her crush on her co-star during an episode of "Pod Meets World" in August 2022, where she explained what initially attracted her to Strong. "He was incredibly intelligent, and one of the things I truly admire about Rider, even to this day, is that he expresses himself freely," she shared. "He's not hesitant to convey his feelings and offer sincere compliments, but he doesn't give them out carelessly. When he praises you, it holds significance, and you can sense that it originates from a genuine place within him."

Though she admitted that she may have irritated him initially upon joining the cast, Fishel reminisced about how their relationship eventually blossomed into a deep and meaningful friendship. Recounting their shared experience of attending the same acting class, Fishel recalled a poignant moment when Rider offered her a genuine compliment, leaving her overwhelmed with love and appreciation.

Danielle Fishel's revelation about her first celebrity crush shocked both her "Pod Meets World" co-stars, with Rider Strong initially thinking she was joking. In the background, Will Friedle gasped and laughed as Strong questioned Fishel, saying, "That can't be true. You never mentioned that. You kept that a secret for 30 years?" Fishel then playfully responded, "Well, it turns out you, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and I were all part of my teen magazine crushes throughout the '90s."

Although Fishel never had a romantic connection with Strong outside of the show, there was one member of the Boy Meets World cast who succeeded in capturing her affections.

According to Fishel, the only person from the show that she had a romantic relationship with was Matthew Lawrence. She revealed that they kept their relationship hidden from the rest of the cast while filming. "We didn't want it to become a big deal on set," she shared. "But I did attend his prom. Our mothers were friends, so it was quite adorable."

Lawrence and JTT were not the only ones that Fishel dated. She also had a relationship with Lance Bass from 1999 to 2000, and he even accompanied her to her prom. Fishel later married Tim Belusko in 2013, but they divorced in 2016. She then married Jensen Karp in 2018, and they have two sons named Adler and Keaton.

As for Strong, he dated Cook in the 90s. However, while filming their TV series Pepper Dennis in 2006, he met Alexandra Barreto and they started dating. After six years together, they got engaged and tied the knot in 2013. They welcomed their son, Indy, in 2014.