The year is 2026, and if you turn on a radio or open TikTok, you are basically living in Sabrina Carpenter's world. With a pile of Grammys on her shelf for Short n' Sweet and a fresh chart-topper in "Manchild," she’s reached a level of superstardom that feels almost untouchable. But for those of us who grew up watching Girl Meets World, it’s impossible to see her without thinking of Rowan Blanchard.
They were Riley and Maya. The sun and the moon. For three seasons, they were the blueprint for Gen Z female friendship.
Then the show ended in 2017, and things got... quiet. Fans have spent nearly a decade dissecting every "like," every unfollow, and every missed birthday post to figure out if the two are still friends or if they’ve become total strangers. Honestly, the internet loves a "falling out" narrative, but the truth between Rowan and Sabrina is way more nuanced than a simple feud.
The Disney Days and the "Rivalry" Rumors
When Girl Meets World premiered in 2014, the chemistry between Rowan and Sabrina was instant. They weren't just coworkers; they were homeschooled together. They spent 12 hours a day on set and then went to Disneyland on the weekends. Rowan once famously said they were "best friends on and off screen," and for a while, it really seemed like it.
But Hollywood—and specifically the Disney Channel fan base—is obsessed with pitting young women against each other.
By the time the show was wrapping up in late 2016, rumors started swirling that the vibes were off. People on Twitter claimed Rowan was "mean" to the cast or that she and Sabrina had stopped speaking. It got so loud that Rowan actually had to address it, posting a note saying she was "sick to her stomach" over the accusations. She even admitted to crying over the rumors that she didn't get along with her costars.
Sabrina, for her part, took a "show, don't tell" approach. She posted a photo of her kissing Rowan’s cheek right after the rumors peaked. It was her way of saying: Relax, we’re fine.
Different Paths: Pop Stardom vs. Arthouse Activism
If you want to understand why they aren’t seen together every week, you just have to look at their careers. They didn’t just move to different houses; they moved to different planets.
Sabrina Carpenter took the pop star highway.
After leaving Hollywood Records and signing with Island Records in 2021, she completely rebranded. She went from "Disney girl who sings" to a global fashion icon and the queen of the summer bop. By 2025, she was headlining the Short n' Sweet tour and winning Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys. She’s built a brand on being relatable, cheeky, and very, very visible.
Rowan Blanchard chose a path that’s much more "indie."
She pivoted hard into acting roles that felt more mature and artistic, like her work in Snowpiercer and the Hulu film Crush. She also became a massive voice in activism, speaking at the UN and using her platform to talk about intersectional feminism and queer identity. Most recently, she joined the cast of The Testaments, the high-stakes sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale.
She isn't at the Coachella after-parties as much. She’s at fashion week in Paris or working on a prestige TV set.
That 2018 Paris Reunion (And What Followed)
The last time fans truly lost their minds was in March 2018. The two crossed paths at Paris Fashion Week and posted a selfie that basically broke the internet. Rowan’s comment on the photo was legendary: "3 years of online homeschool French together, and we f***** made it to Paris baby."
It was the ultimate proof that the bond was still there.
Since then? Public interactions have been rare. But "rare" doesn't mean "over." In June 2025, Sabrina did a TikTok with another Girl Meets World alum, Corey Fogelmanis, to promote her song "Manchild." While Rowan wasn't in the video, the cast remains a tight-knit web of connections.
The reality is that Rowan and Sabrina are two women in their mid-20s who grew up in the most intense spotlight imaginable. They aren't the 13-year-olds who shared a dressing room anymore. Life happens. You drift, you find your own lane, and sometimes you don't feel the need to prove your friendship to millions of strangers on Instagram.
What Most People Get Wrong About Them
The biggest misconception is the "Main Character vs. Side Character" debate. There’s a persistent (and kinda toxic) narrative on Reddit and TikTok that Sabrina "surpassed" Rowan because she’s more famous right now.
That’s a fundamentally flawed way to look at success.
Rowan Blanchard has been incredibly selective about her work. She’s built a career that prioritizes her values and her craft over "chart-topping" metrics. Sabrina, meanwhile, has leaned into the pop machine and mastered it. One isn't "winning" over the other; they are just doing different things. They aren't in competition.
The Verdict on Their Friendship in 2026
Are they "besties" who talk every day? Probably not.
Are they enemies? Definitely not.
They are what most of us are with our childhood friends: people who shared a formative, life-changing experience and still have nothing but love for each other, even if they aren't in each other's "Top 5" on a daily basis. They have navigated the transition from child stars to respected adults without a public "breakup," which, in the world of Disney alums, is actually a huge win.
How to Follow Their Current Projects
If you're still feeling the Riley and Maya nostalgia, here is the best way to keep up with what they're doing right now without falling for fake "feud" clickbait:
- Watch Rowan in The Testaments: Her role as Shunammite is a total departure from her Disney days and shows off the range she’s been building for years.
- Listen to Sabrina’s Man's Best Friend Album: Released in late 2025, it’s a masterclass in how to evolve a pop sound while keeping the wit she’s known for.
- Check out the Girl Meets World 11-Year Anniversary Content: Many of the cast members, including Corey Fogelmanis and Danielle Fishel, frequently share behind-the-scenes stories that give a more grounded perspective on what the environment was actually like.
- Ignore the "Unfollow" Trackers: Social media glitches and "culling" of following lists are often mistaken for drama. Don't read into it unless there's an actual statement.
The best way to support both is to appreciate them as the individual artists they've become, rather than forever tethering them to the characters they played a decade ago.