Heated Rivalry’s Jacob Tierney is supported by fans as HIV disclosure resurfaces
“I acquired HIV when I was 34, and it was really, really bad,” said Tierney
By Aaron Sugg
Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney has received unwavering support after opening up about his HIV status in a resurfaced podcast clip.
Following his breakout producer role in the Crave gay hockey series, Tierney has achieved significant recognition for his 2025 work, including being named in Attitude magazine’s 101 film, TV and music honouree list.
Tierney’s work goes beyond storytelling, advocating for HIV awareness in an interview on the Good Morning Sodomites! podcast in 2022.
“I acquired HIV when I was 34″ – Jacob Tierney opening up about his HIV status
On the episode, he opened up about his HIV status, telling the story of how he became ill before undergoing treatment and eventually becoming undetectable for HIV.
“I acquired HIV when I was 34, and it was really, really bad,” he said. “I got very, very, very sick, lost a lot of weight, and had a lot of serious medical complications that a lot of people don’t experience.”
He revealed he contracted the virus after sleeping with someone who was off their medication, prompting Tierney to urge listeners to “stay on your meds.”
Is PrEP free in Canada?
At the time, PrEP was unavailable in Canada, where Tierney is from, as he states. Just a year later, he would be on the medication, which helps protect against HIV transmission.
PrEP officially became available in Canada in February 2016, and later parts of the country, such as British Columbia, began offering free, publicly funded HIV medication from January 2018. PrEP is not free across all parts of Canada.
A year after his diagnosis, Tierney became “really, really sick again” and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by his HIV doctor, who initially thought it was a reaction to his medication.
“There was like a year and a half where I just was basically dying all the time,” Tierney said.
“I can see why Jacob is such a magnificent director” – one viewer praising Tierney’s openness
Viewers praised the showrunner’s openness in the comment section. One wrote: “I can see why Jacob is such a magnificent director.”
“The open communication and ease with which he discusses the most intimate details must make actors know exactly what he is aiming for. What a gift to the world he is,” they continued.
Another added: “Jacob is a gift and I’m so glad he’s still around making his art and sharing his stories and visions.”
Is there going to be Heated Rivalry season 2?
The 46-year-old showrunner remains focused on bringing LGBTQ+ representation to the screen, most recently announcing the second series of Heated Rivalry.
Gearing up for production in August 2026, leading actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie are set to reprise their roles as Shane and Ilya.
The second season will be based on author Rachel Reid’s book The Long Game, continuing to follow Ilya and Shane Hollander’s love story roughly 10 years into their relationship.
Heated Rivalry series 2 has been confirmed to stream on Sky and NOW in the UK, following its renewal for a second season set for release next spring.