KJ Apa has opened up about a tense moment with Cole Sprouse, describing the punch as a wake-up call during a difficult period in his life.
KJ Apa has revisited one of the most intense moments from his years alongside Cole Sprouse on ‘Riverdale’, revealing that his former co-star once punched him in the face during a night out. The actor, who starred as Archie Andrews in the hit CW series, shared the story during a recent appearance on ‘Wildmen’, the podcast hosted by Cole’s twin brother, Dylan Sprouse, and Brendon Columbus.
The conversation offered a more personal glimpse into the relationships formed behind the scenes of ‘Riverdale’, a series that ran for seven seasons and turned its young cast into global television stars. While the show was known for its heightened drama, mystery and teen-soap intensity, Apa’s anecdote revealed that some of the most emotional moments happened away from the cameras, during a period when he admits those close to him were worried about him.
According to KJ Apa, the incident took place during a night out in Vancouver, where much of ‘Riverdale’ was filmed. The actor recalled that he and Cole Sprouse would often find themselves recognised in public, sometimes in uncomfortable situations. “Cole and I would walk into places in Vancouver all the time and get called [names]. I remember we almost got into a fight,” KJ shared, as Dylan noted that his brother “likes to get into fisticuffs.”
Apa then added the detail that immediately shifted the tone of the story. “Oh, I’ve been around,” he said. “He punched me in the face!” The revelation prompted Dylan, who was there at the time, to recall what happened next with a mix of humour and disbelief.
“He punched you, then you ran away,” Dylan remembered. “Also, I looked at my brother after that, and I was like, ‘Dude, you could have just died.’ I made the mistake of trying to chase after [KJ]. I was like, ‘Oh, dude, I’m going to get him.’ You were three blocks away by the time I was like just getting my bearings. I called you. I was like, ‘My god.’ You might still have the voicemail.”
While the story initially sounded like a chaotic night out, KJ Apa then explained the deeper reason behind the punch. “He hit me because we were in a strip club and, at this time, I was doing a lot of drugs and a lot of my close friends were worried about me,” he shared. “And he had learned that I was doing drugs again… It was a love punch.”
That phrase changed the meaning of the entire anecdote. Rather than describing the moment as an act of aggression, Apa framed it as a painful but meaningful gesture from someone who cared about him. Dylan Sprouse agreed with that interpretation, adding, “It was kind of a wake-up punch,” to which KJ responded, “Yeah. No, it was a wake-up punch.”
The exchange offered a rare look at the closeness between KJ Apa and Cole Sprouse, whose bond developed during years of working together on one of television’s most talked-about teen dramas. For Dylan, seeing that connection meant something important. As Cole’s brother, he admitted that he had worried about him living and working away from home for such a long period.
“I thought you and Cole’s interaction, I always thought was like really beautiful as a brother,” Dylan said. “Because I go, first off, you worry for your sibling when he goes out and he does a show where he’s not from and he lives there for years.”
He continued by explaining how much comfort it gave him to know that Cole had someone close to him on set. “And I go, ‘Well, he’s not going to have anyone he’s really close to.’ And I worried about him,” Dylan added. “But then he calls me, and he called me all the time, and he was like, ‘I got to tell you, I’m so glad KJ’s here.’”
For Dylan, that friendship became a sign that his brother was not alone. “I’m glad you guys had an interaction, which then I immediately knew as a brother, I was like, ‘Okay, he’s safe. He has at least someone who’s like of a similar mentality to him, the similar kind of person.’”
