Heated Rivalry stars call out online hate comments

The cast of Heated Rivalry has taken to social media to condemn viewers sending them hate comments.

The show follows ice hockey stars, Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), captain of the fictional Montreal Metros, and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), captain of the fictional Boston Raiders, as the sporting rivals engage in a secret, years-long relationship, while the series intertwines another gay love story between veteran hockey player Scott Hunter (Francois Arnaud) and barista Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.).

Since its release, the show has exploded in popularity and has seen the actors rising to the forefront of pop culture - we're talking presenting at the Golden Globes, attending fashion shows, making their late-night talkshow debuts, being Olympic torch bearers, and appearing on Saturday Night Live.

(L-R) Hudson Williams and Francois Arnaud.Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Gold House, and Photo by Olivia Wong/Getty Images

But at the same time, Williams, Storrie and Arnaud have sadly been on the receiving end of online hate.

Now, Hudson Williams and Francois Arnaud posted matching statements to their Instagram stories on Monday (March 9), where they called out those sending abuse and trying to stir drama between them.

“Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind. None of us need your hateful ‘love,'" the statement read.

“We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side. If you can’t accept that gtfoh [get the f*** outta here].”

Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, who plays Ilya’s close friend Svetlana in the series, also shared the statement on her Instagram Story and added, "Plz don't make a show that's about love be hateful online. So much love was poured into this project and we all genuinely have so much respect for everyone involved in making this."

Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova attends the Cult Gaia fashion show during New York Fashion Week on February 15, 2026 in New York City.Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

"We're not characters and neither are our real friends, partners, family, and making up false narratives about us isn't 'love'."

She added, "So much good has come from this show so let's keep that going!! Share the love, the art, the dance parties, the friends made, the positivity."

The show's creator, Jacob Tierney, reshared William's Story with the statement, while Robbie G.K. also reshared the two posts from Williams and Arnaud as well.

Elsewhere from Indy100, Heated Rivalry creator making Netflix series about Alexander the Great, andHeated Rivalry season 2 confirmed - everything we know so far.

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