Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams reveals closeted sporting stars are sliding into his DMs with praise
"Sometimes they’re just reaching out privately," reveals Williams
By Aaron Sugg
Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams has revealed that closeted professional athletes have reached out to him following his portrayal of the queer hockey love story.
Athletes from multiple sports have been in touch, including hockey, football and basketball players, sending emails to Williams and author Rachel Reid, who then forwards them on to him and his co-star Connor Storrie.
The pair play characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two hockey players who go from on-pitch rivals to secret lovers, portraying their heated romance in several highly praised sex scenes.
“‘I’m still a professional player still and I’m still in the closet'” – Hudson Williams recalling closeted athletes messaging him about Heated Rivalry
The 24-year-old actor told Andy Cohen on the latest episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live (8 January), “It’s definitely the people who reach out, somewhat anonymously, who are like, ‘I’m still a professional player still and I’m still in the closet.’”
“They’re reaching out to Rachel [Reid], our author, who will then relay these lovely anonymous emails. Sometimes they’re just reaching out privately, through like Instagram,” he explained.
Hudson Williams talks to Andy Cohen about receiving messages from closeted pro athletes following the release of “Heated Rivalry”
— Hudson Williams Updates (@hudsonwupdates) January 7, 2026
Full interview will be released tomorrow https://t.co/s9Er2cmUhv pic.twitter.com/stFTEluJbT
These messages have deeply affected Williams, showing the emotional impact of the show beyond entertainment and how it is resonating with real people in the LGBTQ+ community.
He said: “Those ones are the ones that really just hit you and go, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show and it’s celebratory, but also sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerves.’”
“There’s a lot of taboos around exploring physical intimacy with people you admire” – Williams on battling toxic masculinity through Heated Rivalry
The six-part series highlights themes of internalised homophobia, particularly through Williams’s character, as he spoke about toxic masculinity through his and Storrie’s on-screen relationship.
He shared: “What’s always been something that’s frustrated me, not even with like other men, but also just there’s a lot of taboos around exploring physical intimacy with people you admire and love without people, especially in western culture, [being] like, ‘Oh, they’re fucking, they’re doing this.’”
Williams’s friendship with his co-star has blossomed both on and off screen, with the pair calling each other best friends in the media and candidly speaking about how their connection led to more believable sex scenes.
“I’m always going to just physically express my love” – Williams on his relationship with Heated Rivalry co-star Connor Storrie
Williams emphasised his commitment to expressing physical love openly: “I just was always frustrated by these kinds of notions. Especially with Connor [Storrie], who I love dearly, it was something I was always adamant that no matter what people think or want to infer, I’m always going to just physically express my love.”
The Heated Rivalry actor’s comments come just days before the GLAAD Media Award–nominated series lands on Sky in the UK on 10 January, following a successful run on HBO Max and Crave.
A second season of the gay hockey series was announced late last year, with Williams and Storrie set to reprise their roles. Author Reid has also teased that a new romance is on the horizon.
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