Ben Savage was watched by millions of millennials during his run on the iconic 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World, but anyone who tuned into the WeHo for the People Candidate Forum this week hoping to see his star debut as a political candidate was left sorely disappointed.
Savage was the only candidate out of 12 not to appear at the forum, which served as a major introduction to the city’s voters. His mysterious no-show came on the same day as major publications like the New York Post and People were touting his entry into the race.
No official reason has been given for Savage’s absence, and his campaign has not returned repeated requests for comment.
The 41-year-old former child star has lived in West Hollywood for 18 years but is a newcomer to the political scene
“I’m new to the game, I’m still getting to know everybody but I’ve been so inspired by how welcoming everybody has been,” he told attendees at the WEHOville BBQ on July 4, where he introduced his fiancee, Tessa.
“I’m very eager to lend my support. I think West Hollywood needs a clear set of eyes, someone with no attachments, someone that’s new to the game. I think I could offer a fresh perspective.”
While Savage walks into the race with the kind of name recognition his opponents could only dream of, his celebrity status could prove to be a double-edged sword.
Ben’s elder brother Fred Savage is currently embroiled in a scandal playing out across Hollywood blogs and industry gossip columns.
Fred Savage, star of The Wonder Years, was recently fired from his roles as executive producer and director on the reboot of the hit 1980s TV drama for allegedly inappropriate conduct. Allegations of misconduct have dogged Savage before. Alley Mills, who played Savage’s mom on The Wonder Years, claimed that a sexual harassment lawsuit caused the show to end in 1993. And in 2018, Fred Savage was sued by a costume designer who said he created a hostile work environment on set.
[…] Given his star power, he generated a lot of interest and demand, but he was the only candidate not to attend the WeHo People’s Candidates forum in August. Wehoville. […]
What does his brother have to do with any of this, and need an entire paragraph at the end?
I worked with his father Lew. Got to know the family. VERY nice folks and dedicated Americans. DWYWWT. Shalom.
Savage’s failure to show, combined with his failure to respond to requests for comment speak volumes of his lack of sincerity in this race. There’s something else going on. That said, linking him to his brother’s alleged misdeeds is entirely unfair and a tactic of cheap politics. Let’s have a healthy discussion about the candidates and their stands on issues, or in this case, their lack of solid stands on issues. This candidate has not shown themself to be a serious candidate.
He is getting a lot of FREE publicity! maybe that’s his whole raison d’être?
Bingo.
Totally agree! I was thinking of backing Savage as a fresh voice to balance my other two choices and was very disappointed to find that he could not be bothered to show up for the forum. Wondering why, I emailed his campaign through his campaign website to ask why he did not attend. I received very prompt replies and I’m happy to share the pat, political, non-answers I received from, I’m assuming, someone associated with his campaign. It is my strong feeling that he can’t even be bothered to read his own campaign emails, unlike some of the other candidates.
Why would he bother? Canceling the TV version for the city makes the whole thing amateur time and Dixie. The city is a joke. Who saw the thing anyway? That woman who runs the chamber. On their YouTube channel the last video was about 5 months old. She doesn’t even live in West Hollywood. Vote for someone who has nothing to do with any of thr WEHO establishment and certainly not any of the current members of the city council. As for Meister, she’s anti-halloween!. Savage has my vote .. a Stanford grad… Not someone who majored in gender studies… Read more »
After my Meister and Martin votes, the rest of the candidates are a big gamble so why not this kid?
I suspect he has a lot of scripts to read, he can be very choosy about roles, as all of Hollywood seems to be clamoring to have aging child stars in their next straight to cable picture.
The very last thing West Hollywood needs is an out of touch washed up child actor. Look at his brother Fred, we all thought he was the cute good guy, and he’s been accused of lots of questionable behaviors. Yes, you are not your brother, but you don’t need to prove it by running for office.