Devon Werkheiser and Daniel Curtis Lee have been friends for two decades, all thanks to Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. And like many longtime friendships, they experienced a few hiccups along the way. In fact, the former co-stars once had a falling out… over a cult!
During a new episode of their Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide with co-star Lindsey Shaw on Wednesday, Devon revealed they were on bad terms for a while after he asked Daniel to attend a “workshop that is cult-adjacent.” What?! The 33-year-old musician said:
“Remember that time I tried to get you to go to this workshop that is cult-adjacent and then you were, like, mad at me for a couple years? That was the only time Daniel and I went through a time where we didn’t talk for a little while after that, cause we always stayed in touch.”
However, Daniel wouldn’t describe it as a “cult-adjacent” workshop! It was a full-on cult in his eyes! He fired back:
“No, no, no. It was a cult. It was not cult-adjacent. And yes, [you] tried to get me to join it.”
Whoa! They never say what this cult was. We assume not NXIVM since they aren’t young women. But between this and Smallville and One Tree Hill? It’s crazy how all these cults were targeting 2000s TV shows aimed at young people, isn’t it?
Related: Bethany Joy Lenz Reveals Name Of Cult That Took ‘Millions’ From Her!
Daniel wasn’t having it. The Zeke and Luther alum was going through a “dark time” in his life, so when Devon tried to recruit him into the unnamed organization, that was the final straw for him. He explained:
“I was already going through my own stuff, right, but I did not need that at the time, bro. That was the last interaction that I wanted to have with anybody. I already had a thing about people trying to sell fulfillment through religion.”
Daniel also pointed out he and Devon “weren’t spending that much time together” when the conversation happened, so he felt the Greek star just reached out to him to ask him to join a cult instead of caring about his well-being. Daniel remembers he even got so mad at his co-star he walked out of the restaurant they were at:
“I walked out of that restaurant. I stormed up out of there, bro. … [I was like], ‘These Hollywood motherf**kers. They’re all the same… He’ll literally sell me out to make maybe $100.’”
Devon then “called to check up” on him afterward — but it turns out that was only to make “sure” he was a “no” on joining the workshop! And that sent the rapper over the edge:
“I think I really just like laid in and I was like, ‘Bro, you’re the worst effing thing that ever happened to me in my life. If I’d never done this show with you…’”
Whoa!
No wonder they had a falling out! While struggling so much at the time, the last thing he would’ve wanted was a good friend trying to sell them on a cult! Devon clarified he received “no commission” for recruiting new members. However, there was “pressure while you’re in that program to sign up people in your life.” Despite Daniel being pissed over the attempted recruitment, Devon surprisingly defended his actions! He said:
“Daniel’s telling me, like, he doesn’t believe in f**king people or the world or food. Daniel was in a dark time. I’m like, ‘I can offer Daniel a place where he could grow and become the man he wants to be and thrive.’ And meanwhile, Daniel’s like, ‘I don’t trust you, motherf**ker.’”
Yeah, definitely understandable Daniel was angry. Cults prey on people in their most vulnerable times! But Devon still says this organization was OK. He argued anyone he did bring to the workshops never had a “bad experience,” adding:
“There’s some, like, self-development workshops out there in the world that are borderline culty, but also do provide a space for self-development and learning.”
No matter what Devon says, Daniel still thinks his pal went too far and “hurt” him:
“I was hurt, bro. I just was going through a couple things. … So, it was refreshing thinking, ‘Oh, yeah — Dev, we’ll catch up.’”
Oof. For his part, Devon recognized it was “brutal” to know Daniel was “vulnerable” and needed “a safe space” to talk to someone, but he attempted to get him to sign up for the “cult” instead. Yet he still stood by his intentions at the time, saying:
“But on my side, when I saw actually how you were [struggling], it made me even more like, ‘No, no, you really should go to this thing.’”
The pair obviously worked things out and became friends again a few years later. And their friendship seems better than ever! At least it’s strong enough to be able to hash out this messy time in their lives! Watch the podcast (below):
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments!
[Image via Nickelodeon/Ned’s Declassified Podcast Survival Guide/YouTube]
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