Jan 9
‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Hudson Williams Says Closeted Pro Athletes Are Privately Reaching Out To Him
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Actor Hudson Williams, one of the breakout stars of the queer hockey romance series “Heated Rivalry, ” has shared that closeted professional athletes have been contacting him privately to describe how the show reflects their own experiences.
Speaking in an interview with host Andy Cohen on SiriusXM, Williams said that the show’s success has drawn messages from current professional players who remain closeted. He described some of the messages as “somewhat anonymous, ” noting that people identified themselves as active professional athletes who are still not publicly out.
Williams said those messages underline that, while “Heated Rivalry” is entertaining and celebratory, it also connects on a deeper emotional level for people navigating the risks of being openly LGBTQ+ in elite sport. He explained that some individuals reach out privately through platforms like Instagram to say the story feels “close to home, ” which he described as “hitting people right in the nerves. ”
The actor also highlighted that Rachel Reid, author of the original “Heated Rivalry” novel on which the television series is based, has received similar messages from closeted athletes over the years. According to Williams, those responses predate the TV adaptation, suggesting that even written queer sports romances can serve as a lifeline or mirror for people who cannot safely be out at work.
“Heated Rivalry” adapts Reid’s widely praised hockey romance about two male players whose relationship evolves from rivalry to romance, placing a queer love story at the centre of a traditionally hyper-masculine sport. The show’s popularity has contributed to broader discussion about LGBTQ+ representation in sports media and the importance of stories that challenge stereotypes about masculinity and sexuality in professional leagues.
During his conversation with Andy Cohen, Williams also reflected on his on- and off-screen relationship with co-star Connor Storrie, stressing their comfort with physical affection and emotional closeness. He said he has been “adamant” about expressing love physically with friends, suggesting that discomfort with this kind of intimacy in 2025 is something people need to move beyond.
Williams’s comments came amid a surge of mainstream attention for the series, including his first late-night television appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. ” Canadian outlet Toronto Life described his Fallon interview as filled with “spiciest moments, ” underscoring the cultural buzz around the show and its star.
For LGBTQ+ viewers, particularly those involved in sport, Williams’s disclosure that closeted professional athletes are reaching out underscores the gap between media representation and lived reality. While more athletes have come out publicly in recent years, major men’s leagues in sports such as hockey and football still have relatively few openly LGBTQ+ players, and many people remain concerned about backlash from fans, sponsors, or team environments.
Williams framed the messages he receives as both humbling and motivating, indicating that the show’s team is aware of the responsibility that comes with telling queer sports stories on a big platform. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, such stories are not just entertainment but reflections of ongoing struggles for safety, visibility, and acceptance in spaces where homophobia and transphobia have historically gone unchallenged.
