Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and François Arnaud are fighting back at the haters after months of alleged online abuse.
The two actors took to Instagram on Monday, posting a statement that seemingly addressed fans of the show who have posted disparaging messages about the stars online.
“Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind,” the post read. “None of us need your hateful ‘love.’”
Although the two didn’t explain what led to their joint Notes app-generated post, they did stress that the cast “all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side.” The stars added, “If you can’t accept that gtfoh,” using an acronym that not-so-politely tells someone to leave.
Williams and Arnaud’s message was reposted by co-star Robbie Graham-Kuntz to his Instagram stories, with the “Kip” actor adding a heart emoji next to their words. Show creator Jacob Tierney and author Rachel Reid, who wrote the original Heated Rivalry books, also reposted the message. Connor Storrie, who plays opposite Williams on the show, has yet to post anything as of this writing.
The rapid rise of Heated Rivalry has thrust the entire cast into the spotlight and led to intense public scrutiny that’s dissected everything from their personal lives, to the interactions — online and otherwise — between the actors.
The cast has also become paparazzi fixtures. Williams was recently photographed partying at Paris Fashion Week after attending the Balenciaga show, while Storrie was swarmed by fans and photographers in New York after his recent Saturday Night Live hosting gig (where Williams also made a cameo appearance).
Variety via Getty ImagesDespite the online rumors, there’s been no hint of drama among the cast, and they have publicly voiced their support for one another in TV appearances and magazine interviews alike. Storrie (who plays Ilya Rozanov), meantime, was joined by Arnaud, Nadine Bhabha (Elena), Christina Chang (Yuna Hollander), Graham-Kuntz, and show executive producers Brendan Brady and Jacob Tierney last week onstage at the 37th GLAAD Media Awards, where Heated Rivalry picked up the award for Outstanding New TV Series.
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