Hudson Williams and François Arnaud.
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images (Emma McIntyre, Swan Gallet/WWD)
Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and François Arnaud condemned people who spread hate online in a matching Notes app screenshot shared to their Instagram Stories on March 9. “Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/
misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/
bigoted comments of any kind,” their statement read. “None of us need your hateful ‘love.’” The message — which was shared by several of their co-stars, including Robbie G.K., Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Sophie Nélisse, Nadine Bhabha, Christina Chang, and Callan Potter — continued, “We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side. if you can’t accept that gtfoh.” Show creator Jacob Tierney and author Rachel Reid, whose Game Changers books inspired the hit hockey-romance series, both also shared the statement.
Kharlamova, who plays Svetlana, expressed a similar sentiment in an addendum on her Instagram Story. “Pls don’t make a show that’s about love be hateful online,” she wrote in part. “So much love was poured into this project and we all genuinely have so much respect for everyone involved in making this. We’re not characters and neither are our real friends, partners, family and making up false narratives about us isn’t ‘love.’” Harrison Browne, the trans former pro hockey player who makes a cameo as a player on the show, shared Williams and Arnaud’s statement and took the opportunity to also call attention to transphobic comments by sharing screenshots of hateful tweets that have been made about him due to his casting.
Heated Rivalry, the HBO Max–acquired Crave series that stars Williams and Connor Storrie as closeted hockey players in love, has exploded in popularity since its November premiere. But that rise has been accompanied by intense scrutiny of the cast’s personal lives, as well as online hatred from people who claim to be fans but have directed racist comments at Williams (who is half Korean), attacked Arnaud’s age and sexuality over rumors that he’s dating Storrie, and/or pitted the cast against each other.
Even Williams and Arnaud’s joint statement didn’t immediately satisfy everyone, with some people criticizing co-stars for not speaking up sooner. “I didn’t post anything before bc we had all decided not to comment on any of it,” Arnaud clarified in an Instagram comment. “I wrote the statement myself today and asked hudson if he was ok with me posting and he said he loved it and wanted to co-sign with me and make it a joint statement. Gtfoh.” Williams echoed this explanation in a Threads reply to someone who suggested that he should not have had to co-sign the statement. “It was Francois’ idea and I helped write it!” Williams wrote. “I don’t scroll comments so I did not see the hate. I was vibing watching figure skating highlights.” Maybe he was enjoying a performance by a fellow Wasian icon?
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