Media Getting 'Weird' at Hudson Williams? 'Heated Rivalry' Star Allegedly Subjected to Hate Train After Revealing Girlfriend

The meteoric rise of Heated Rivalry has turned its lead actors into overnight sensations, but the transition from niche success to mainstream stardom is proving volatile for Hudson Williams. While fans initially championed his portrayal of Shane Hollander, the atmosphere has shifted following personal revelations that seemingly shattered the illusions of a vocal segment of the audience.

The discourse surrounding the actor is no longer just about his performance; it has evolved into a debate over industry bias. A thread on Reddit questioned the decision to consider his co-stars, Connor Storrie and François Arnaud, for an Emmy while excluding him.

'There's a Trend of Wanting to Push Him Aside'

Concerns regarding the treatment of Williams reached a boiling point on social media after a series of high-profile media mentions appeared to marginalise his contribution to 'Heated Rivalry'. A popular thread on the r/hudsonwilliams subreddit highlighted what fans describe as a 'weird' trend of hostility toward the actor.

'From Entertainment Tonight making "jokes" about replacing Shane with Scott, the New York Magazine putting the racist hate train on his shoulder for showing his girlfriend and now this?' the original poster wrote.

The original poster was referring to a report calling for Storrie and Arnaud to receive Emmy nominations, and was unhappy that Williams was excluded when, in their view, he deserved a nomination more than Arnaud.

'I'm sorry but nothing François Arnaud did on that show is Emmy worthy while Hudson acted his a** off every episode and I would personally submit Shane coming out to Rose it was flawless,' the OP added. 'There's a trend of wanting to push him aside and I'm not about it.'

Hudson Williams Caught on a Hate Train

The backlash against Williams intensified after he publicly acknowledged his long-term relationship with a woman on Valentine's Day, an act that some segments of the 'Heated Rivalry' fandom interpreted as a betrayal. While the actor has been praised for his sensitive portrayal of Shane, a queer character, the revelation of his real-world heterosexuality sparked a 'hate train' rooted in accusations of queerbaiting. Many were upset upon learning of the relationship, amid hopes that he would end up with Storrie.

Critics argued that by leaning into the on-screen chemistry with Storrie during press cycles while keeping a girlfriend private, Williams had exploited the LGBTQ+ community for professional gain. 'Hudson Williams only talent is queerbaiting,' one user wrote on X.

However, a separate report noted that many defenders have rallied around the actor, arguing that an actor's private life should remain separate from their professional performance. The online hostility has not been limited to X or Reddit; in a Heated Rivalry Facebook group, members debated whether the vitriol directed at Williams was a symptom of toxic 'shipping' culture, where the line between fiction and reality becomes increasingly blurred.

One Reddit user found the hate towards Williams to be unreasonable. 'Some of the vitriol directed towards him has been absolutely insane. People acting like he's a massive douchebag when he's literally just existing,' they wrote.

François Arnaud Faces Backlash Too

Fans were so invested in the on-screen bond between Storrie and Williams that anyone perceived as standing between them has faced similar hostility, including co-star François Arnaud. Earlier this year, Arnaud faced intense backlash when he and Storrie were spotted together at an airport, with many concluding he was interfering with the pair's 'real-life' bond. The harassment escalated to the point where Arnaud received death threats.

Arnaud clapped back at the haters and urged them to 'rewatch the show, because it doesn't seem like they got its message.' In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Arnaud said he would delete and probably download Instagram again due to the public scrutiny he and his co-stars received from fans, which he acknowledged was 'part of the job' they were 'grateful for.'

'I think that despite [Connor and Hudson's] inexperience with that and their youth and everybody's kind of new experience with that level of success, I think that we're all, first and foremost committed to our craft and anxious to go back in and reconnect with why we want to do this,' he said.