Heated Rivalry’s François Arnaud defended by fans after unfollowing co-stars and creator on Instagram
Arnaud unfollowed Hudson Williams, Robbie Graham-Kuntz and Connor Storrie on the platform, as well as creator Jacob Tierney
By Callum Wells
François Arnaud has been defended by fans after briefly unfollowing several of his Heated Rivalry co-stars and the show’s creator on Instagram.
Reports emerged Thursday (15 January) that Arnaud had unfollowed Hudson Williams, Robbie Graham-Kuntz and Connor Storrie, while reducing the number of accounts he follows from over 1,000 to fewer than 200. By Friday morning, he had refollowed all three actors and creator Jacob Tierney.
After the unfollowing, Arnaud posted a four-photo grid on Instagram. The first three images showed Williams making the middle finger gesture at the camera. In the fourth, Arnaud returned the gesture himself. He captioned the post: “Learning from the very best. @hudsonwilliamsofficial.”
Hudson Williams commented, “love u,” confirming there’s no bad blood between the pair
Williams commented, “love u,” confirming there’s no bad blood between the pair.
He added the post to his Instagram Story, set to Wolf Parade’s I’ll Believe in Anything, a song featured in an episode of the show during his character Scott Hunter’s breakup scene with Kip, played by Graham-Kuntz.
The Canadian actor stars as Scott Hunter on the HBO Max and Crave series, an American ice hockey player and captain of the New York Admirals.
His character’s arc in the first season offers a distinct emotional thread alongside the main story of rival players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
Scott’s narrative explores the personal cost of hiding his identity while balancing the demands of professional sport and a developing romance with Kip (Robbie Graham-Kuntz), a barista he meets in episode three.
“I’m sorry there’s a part of the fandom that is trying to be so invasive and abhorrent to you all and I apologize for that” – Heated Rivalry fan defending François Arnaud
Scenes depict Scott grappling with the pressures of coming out publicly and the toll that secrecy takes on his life and performance.
In later episodes, Scott’s decision to publicly acknowledge his relationship with Kip, including a significant on‑ice moment where he kisses him after a major game, serves to influence and inspire those around him.
Responses to the Instagram post included comments from followers defending him. One wrote: “I’m sorry there’s a part of the fandom that is trying to be so invasive and abhorrent to you all and I apologize for that. I hope you’re taking care and looking after one another. And it looks like you are.” Another added that his “haters can choke”.
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