Maitland Ward, from Sitcom actress to porn star, addresses ‘soul changing’ journey

Maitland Ward is confident in her choices.

In her new memoir, "Rated X," which came out on Tuesday, the "Boy Meets World" alum discusses how she made the switch from family-friendly entertainment to a lucrative career in the adult film industry. She blames the House of Mouse and praises porn for enabling her to flourish.

Ward acted alongside Mario Lopez in the TV movie "Killing Mr. Griffin" while still a junior in high school and started appearing regularly on the serial opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel's ABC sitcom "Boy Meets World," in which she played Rachel McGuire, premiered in 1998.

A few years later, Ward, who is now 45, began sharing topless and nude images on social media, where she quickly gained a big following. She said on Instagram in 2019 that "Drive," a full-length skin film, would include her as the lead. She played an "innocent" lady who is beginning to grow in the film, directed by seasoned porn actor Kayden Kross, much like Ward's own transformation.

After everything started, "I found myself a changed person," she claims.

“I had new confidence and a full-time job, and it wasn’t because I smiled for any higher-ups. The validation that I was given, especially after being told that no one would ever pay a dime to see me sexy, was soul-changing.”

Since tying the knot with realtor Terry Baxter in 2006, Ward has been examining her sexuality, discovering that she is also attracted to females.