Oops. It’s the first week of Pride Month. Not the best time for a photo like this to surface.
A picture of Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams hit social media Sunday morning. His teenage face covered in Sharpie markings — including what appeared to be a swastika drawn on his forehead. X user @hanfromdastreet posted it with the caption “hudson williams stuns in newly shared photo.” It had 19 likes when it started making the rounds. By afternoon it was everywhere.
TMZ got to sources fast. The photo is from Williams’ high school years in a small Canadian town. The tradition: an annual campout where underage kids drank and drew on each other with markers. Faces, shirts, bodies — everything was fair game. Williams had no idea what was being drawn on his face, sources told TMZ. A friend said the markings “do not and have never reflected Hudson’s beliefs, values, or character.” His people called it drunk teenagers doing “dumb things” and said he knows today it was inexcusable.
Williams hasn’t said anything publicly.
WeHo had real affection for this guy going into Pride weekend. Last December he and co-star Connor Storrie showed up in the Rainbow District unannounced. No PR, no event — they just showed up. Hit Hi Tops for trivia night, then Gym Bar, then Rocco’s WeHo. Took photos all night. Raised more than $1,500 for Rainbow Labs, a local nonprofit supporting queer youth. When someone asked what they’d say to young LGBTQ+ athletes, Storrie grabbed the mic: “Take up space, be yourself really loud, and don’t take shit from anyone.” Williams went next: “Believe in yourself and be yourself.” The crowd lost it. The TikToks racked up millions of views.
Heated Rivalry is adapted from Rachel Reid’s hockey romance novels. Secret gay relationship between two rival players. The show drew 10.6 million average U.S. viewers per episode in its first season. It swept the Canadian Screen Awards last month — Williams took Best Lead Performer, Drama Series. Season 2 shoots in August.
In case you’re curious, Williams has never publicly addressed his sexuality. In an earlier edit, we assumed he was straight just because… He walked the Vanity Fair Oscars red carpet in March with girlfriend Katelyn Rose Larson, making their relationship official. Before that he kept his personal life locked. Fielded months of questions about his sexuality and mostly deflected. “I want queer people telling queer stories,” he told Deadline in December, “but also, there’s the element of Connor and I — we’re best friends, and we love expressing that physically.”
I’m sorry. “What APPEARED to be a swastika”? Looks like one to me.
Stop giving the Hudson Williams story life. It’s garbage. He was a child and someone else put it on his face. Stop.
and you know this… how?
No other way to say it: This is a dumb story.
NOPE!!!! As an American Jewish Gay Man, unacceptable. I do NOT CARE that Heated Rivalry was a breakthrough, this act needs recognition. Kathy Hilton was ditched for less, supporting a President, this guy has 6 million dead Jewish people on his face. F*ck that. Enough with the Jewish hatred. But I guess with Jimmy Kimmel’s black face that got forgiven, then the gays can forgive this. No, no, he f*cked up.
He didn’t draw it on his own face. Someone else did and you don’t even know if he knew it was there when the photo was taken. And it’s almost a 10 year old picture he was a literal child when it happened.
He’s Asian and he’s been encountering his own hatred fyi so perhaps don’t act like he’s some cos white dude being a problem. He isn’t
and you know this… how?
Someone drew a swastika on a drunk Asian teenager and you’re attacking him? As a Jew myself, I find it deeply repugnant to attack the victim.
It’s not a swastika it’s an ancient Hindu symbol. The Nazi’s appropriated something similar but it’s not the same obviously.
Also it’s no one’s business who someone sleeps with or loves. Wasn’t that the point decades ago? It’s not the governments business. It’s your business unless you elect to volunteer it. The point for many is the freedom to live and love whom you choose and not everyone is seeking the public’s approval of your choice. If you are seeking approval buy a dog
OK, this photo appears to been taken 5-8 years ago when this fellow was in high school. Kids are bound to do crazy stuff, so I will just overlook this incident unless there is proof otherwise.
They’re more worried about him being called straight than him using slurs, aave, grillz, swastika on his forehead. AIDS on his neck to mock the community he’s supposedly part of
People more upset that he could be straight than the swastika. There is another photo from the following year where he has another swastika drawn on him. This is what you should be angry about people, he’s got form. Check out txnplanet on twitter to see the latest image
the other photo has a cross on his head. it’s racist to keep blaming him for things that white teens did to him that he couldn’t see.
That second photo isn’t a swastika. You guys are making more people sympathize with him cos it is clear that this is a witch hunt to get him cancelled. Keep stalking minors on weird sites to unearth more photos.
I don’t see a second photo.
There us not. Stop lying
Hudson has never said what his sexuality is. Him having a girlfriend doesn’t mean he’s straight. Hello bisesxual people exist.
You’re absolutely right. Will adjust. He just made their relationship official.
Having a girlfriend doesn’t make you straight. What kind of biphobia is this ? He has not disclosed his sexuality. Disgusting
there’s plenty i disagree with about this article, but the casual biphobia assuming that hudson is straight off the back of talking about his lgbt+ activism in your community DURING PRIDE MONTH is a really interesting and frankly unnecessary choice!
This!
In case you’re curious, Williams has never said that he’s straight. Do we need to remind people that having a girlfriend doesn’t automatically make a man straight?? In fact, he’s made multiple comments that hint at him being queer.
1000% Williams has never publicly addressed his sexuality. He walked the Vanity Fair Oscars red carpet in March with girlfriend Katelyn Rose Larson, making their relationship official. Will adjust.
Being gay or straight or bisexual or whatever you are, I don’t judge a book by cover like Martin Luther king
Having a boyfriend doesn’t make him gay as well maybe they’re just friends