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Fandoms are not inherently toxic. They\u2019re a space for people to share the joy and love they have for that particular piece of media. They are, oftentimes, safe spaces for fans to be themselves when they otherwise can\u2019t be. Lifelong friendships are made. It\u2019s a joyous space\u2013or, it should be.<\/p>\n
As social media continues to grow and dominate the landscape, fandoms start to get poisoned. Whereas in the days of message boards and internet chat rooms access was limited, now fans have 24\/7 access to actors via Instagram, X, TikTok, and more. Where there was once a line between celebrities and fans, it\u2019s now become muddied with a sort of expectation, you could say.<\/p>\n
Parasociality is the one-sided psychological bonds or relationships people form with media figures, celebrities, influencers, or fictional characters who are unaware of their existence. People will become too familiar with a celebrity, messaging them or responding to posts as if they are friends and expecting a response from them. Conversely, it also gives them a sense of entitlement to be, simply put, mean.<\/p>\n
Heated Rivalry has been nothing short of a smash success. It\u2019s become a global phenomenon, with stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams blowing up overnight. They have been invited to fashion events and were also torchbearers for the Winter Olympics<\/a>. The hockey romance has become one of the most mainstream queer shows enjoyed by viewers regardless of sexuality.<\/p>\n The bad comes with the good <\/p>\n However, such a meteoric rise comes with complications. Many fans are overzealous, willing to jump at any criticism with teeth bared. And Heated Rivalry has not been without its criticisms, including those from queer men<\/a>. No piece of media is perfect, and oftentimes for the sake of either clarity or easier storytelling for mainstream sacrifices in realism must be made.<\/p>\n One thing you, as a fan, must realize is that there will be people who do not like your chosen piece of media. It\u2019s just a fact. If somebody has a bad take, then they have a bad take. If they have genuine criticism, then you need to respect that.<\/p>\n Fledgling fandoms like Heated Rivalry\u2018s go through growing pains, especially when the show blows up the way that it did. However, there does not seem to be any change on the horizon for the toxic subsection of this fandom, because they have set their sights not just on critics, but on the very actors involved in the show.<\/p>\n How Fran\u00e7ois Arnaud went from beloved to enemy number one <\/p>\n Recently, Slate<\/a> posted an article<\/a> about the toxicity of the Heated Rivalry fandom. As it began making the rounds on sites like X, some wondered why an article like that was even penned. Those in the fandom were quick to pull receipts, quoting it with screenshots from fandoms blatantly attacking star Fran\u00e7ois Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter in the series.<\/p>\n Not long after, a PDF began circulating, documenting 142 pages of detailed accounts against the star through February 5, 2026. In it, the anonymous author goes through every documented piece of avidence against the actor, crafting a timeline.<\/p>\n According to them, the fandom itself was unified until January 13-15, which was a major turning point for the fandom. Arnaud and Storrie were seen in New York and then LA. (They were filming Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Kelly Clarkson Show, respectively).<\/p>\n Prior to this, as expected for press for a show where they are the leads, Williams and Storrie were always spotted together. It is clear that this proximity created a sense of ownership among the fans, especially those who are into RPF (real person shipping).<\/p>\n What is RPF, and how can it be toxic? <\/p>\n RPF itself is not inherently toxic. There are no reason to vilify it for existing, especially when the people participating are being respectful and making sure that those featured never see it. It exists through fanfiction sites like AO3, and can be seen on X as well.<\/p>\n The problem with the Heated Rivalry fandom, though, is that some of them simply take it too far. Arnaud is the only openly queer actor (he\u2019s bisexual, and has been open about having a male partner). To these fans, that makes him a threat to their ship. And as it historically goes, they create smear campaigns and lies to turn others against them.<\/p>\n Suddenly, Arnaud is hated. He is a groomer (never mind that Storrie is an adult). Death threats are sent constantly through comments on his Instagram posts. People are blatantly homophobic and try to turn around and say it\u2019s not homophobia if they don\u2019t like the person.<\/p>\n Said one user, \u201cThe 40-year-old actor who is trying to take advantage of Connor keeps invading Connor\u2019s private life and throwing shade at Haddon, and has alienated the friendship between the two main actors They also posted, \u201cHe\u2019s so weird., he seems like a ghost following Connor everywhere besides, he ended his long-term relationship as soon as he saw that Connor was becoming too famous\u2026 that\u2019s why the HR fandom hates him so much.\u201d<\/p>\n Another said, succinctly, \u201cHudson and Connor are the pairing we knew we needed. We hate Francois Arnaud.\u201d<\/p>\n TLDR: celebrities\u2019 lives are not your business <\/p>\n The PDF is full of screenshots of posts from X teeming with vitriol, homophobia, and lies. The more it\u2019s talked about, the more it gains traction from those who want to blindly believe what others say just because they fear their fictional ship is in danger. They say Arnaud cheated on his ex-partner. They call him a hag. They trash him for defending himself online. They perceive him as a wedge between their faves, when the reality is that he is probably just as close to Williams and Storrie as they are to each other.<\/p>\n We are not privy to what happens in celebrities\u2019 lives, nor should we really even care. Whether or not somebody is dating, or are friends, is none of our concern. You are not owed anything. If they are seen out to dinner, they\u2019re out to dinner.<\/p>\n Speculating is fine when it\u2019s harmless. RPF is fine when it\u2019s harmless. If you want to joke around and say Oh, it looks like they\u2019re on a date! to a paparazzi photo, again\u2013fine, if it\u2019s harmless. But what is happening with some members of the Heated Rivalry fandom has gone much further than that.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re sending death threats to somebody who you don\u2019t know who also doesn\u2019t even know you exist, maybe it\u2019s time to rethink your priorities.<\/p>\n (Featured image: Gary Gershoff\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author. <\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-1.07.47\u202fPM.png\")
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of HR who, until 3 weeks ago, were very close friends and were always together.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2cbb44e2f0a3824d9983ad7f663b1377.png\")
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