Heated Rivalry Star Hudson Williams Says Closeted Pro Athletes Are DMing Him

Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams has revealed that professional athletes who have not been able to publicly come out as LGBTQIA+ have contacted him in the wake of the gay hockey drama’s success.

Williams, who plays Shane Hollander in the adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry, spoke to Andy Cohen Live about how the series has sparked unexpected conversations beyond the screen. According to the actor, he has received messages from current athletes — including hockey, football and basketball players — who say they are still in the closet and feel unable to come out publicly.

“The people who reach out, somewhat anonymously, who are like, ‘I’m a professional player still, and I’m still in the closet,'” said Williams.

“They’re reaching out to Rachel [Reid], our author, who will then kind of relay these lovely emails,” he continued. “Sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through Instagram, and those are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show, and it’s celebratory, but also, sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerves.”

While he did not name any individuals, Williams said many of those reaching out prefer to stay anonymous, underscoring the continuing pressures within elite sport that make visibility difficult.

 

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Heated Rivalry spotlights pressures faced by LGBTQIA+ athletes

Heated Rivalry centres on the hidden romance between two rival hockey stars and has been widely praised for its portrayal of closeted queer athletes navigating hyper-masculine sports environments.

The comments from Williams come as elite sport continues to grapple with LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

Earlier this year, Mitch Brown became the first openly bisexual player in AFL history, a milestone moment that highlighted just how rare it has been for male athletes to publicly disclose queer identities in major professional codes.

In his first interview with queer media, Brown told Star Observer that the AFL’s more than 129-year history had never before seen a male player come out as gay or bisexual while active, despite the likelihood that queer players existed within the competition for generations.

“Statistically, there has to have been queer players,” Brown said. “They just haven’t felt comfortable or safe enough.”

Brown’s coming out served as a beacon for others, yet his reflections also underscored the ongoing challenges queer athletes face in being visible without fear of career impact or cultural backlash.

In the United States and Canada, just a handful of male athletes — including NFL and NHL players — have come out publicly, but in many major men’s codes, openly LGBTQIA+ players remain scarce.