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Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and François Arnaud have jointly issued a statement denouncing "racist" and "homophobic" remarks made by fans of the HBO Max series.
"Do not label yourself a fan if you promote racist, homophobic, biphobic, misogynistic, ageist, ableist, parasocial, or any form of bigoted comments," Williams, who is 25, and Arnaud, aged 40, declared in an Instagram Story on Monday, March 9. "We do not need your hateful version of 'love.'"
They ended their message with, "We all care for, support, and love one another and stand united. If you cannot accept this, then leave."
Later, Williams elaborated on the statement, which was also endorsed by their Heated Rivalry co-star Robbie G.K., in a now-erased conversation with a fan on Threads on Monday. The fan pointed out that Williams had faced "severe racial harassment, mainly from fans of François and Connor," claiming that "no one from the production crew or his white co-stars could defend [Williams] without his consent."
"It was François who proposed [issuing the statement] and I assisted in drafting it," Williams replied to the fan. "I don’t check the comments, so I was unaware of the negativity. I was just enjoying watching figure skating highlights."
Us Weekly has contacted representatives for both Williams and Arnaud for their statements. (Williams portrays Shane Hollander, a Japanese-Canadian hockey player in Heated Rivalry, while Arnaud plays Scott Hunter, an American player.)
The fan community surrounding Heated Rivalry has sparked significant discussions regarding the hockey drama since its debut on Crave and HBO Max last year.
Williams expressed surprise in January to Wonderland regarding the high number of "disrespectful" individuals present in the Heated Rivalry fandom.
"I expected there to be fewer disrespectful individuals, and on the other hand, I did not anticipate the number of respectful fans,” he stated. "I thought the atmosphere would be filled only with excitement or admiration, but there are those who say, 'Let's treat him and his privacy with respect. Let’s avoid sharing certain photos. When we meet him in public, let’s be considerate of the right moments.' I appreciate seeing those comments; that’s great."
Williams added, "Conversely, there are disrespectful individuals who say things like, ‘Forget that guy.’ And I’m taken aback. Why are people sending hate my way? There’s also all this misinformation about me. And I’m baffled, thinking, ‘How is there already fake news about me?’"
Arnaud faced similar backlash within the Heated Rivalry fandom as well. In January, he briefly unfollowed several castmates and series creator Jacob Tierney on Instagram due to the critiques but later followed them back.
He told The Toronto Star in January that the majority of his experiences related to Heated Rivalry had been positive.
Overall, fans have generally shown remarkable positivity and respect. For those who have not, I believe they are often younger fans who struggle to differentiate between what is real and what is fictional, he proposed. "I truly hope they would consider rewatching the series, as it appears they may have missed its intended message. They should focus more intently. Did we view the same series?"
Heated Rivalry season 1 — which is adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series — can be streamed on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States. A second season is currently being developed.
https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/heated-rivalry-stars-unite-to-blast-racist-homophobic-fans/
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