The stars of Heated Rivalry, Hudson Williams and François Arnaud, have taken to social media to condemn online hate comments, expressing their solidarity against the spread of such negativity. The pair shared identical Instagram stories just after 3 p.m. PT on Monday, issuing a statement to those who engage in online hate, often pitting the cast members against one another.
Their message was clear: "Don't call yourself a fan if you share racist, homophobic, biphobic, misogynist, ageist, ableist, parasocial, or bigoted comments of any kind. None of us need your hateful 'love.'"
Both Williams, who plays Shane Hollander in the series, and Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter in the series, have been the target of a barrage of hateful comments on social media. The post addressed those who seek to divide the actors and other members of the cast. "We all respect and support and love each other and are on the same side," the statement continued. "If you can't accept that, then get the fuck out of here."
The actors followed up with various comments on social media. Williams responded to a Threads post about the situation, saying, "It was Francois' idea and I helped write it! I don't scroll comments so I did not see the hate. I was vibing watching figure skating highlights."
Arnaud has also been responding to comments on Instagram posts, including one that read, "racists and haters of all kinds gtfoh."
Several of the cast members and creative team have reposted the statement. Their co-star Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova added in part on her repost, "Please 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. We're not characters and neither are our real friends, partners, or family; making up false narratives about us isn't 'love.'"
Kharlamova also took to social media on Sunday to address online comments. Her post read: "Since it's Women's Day, I want to say that the women you see at industry events are there because they are just as deserving of being in those rooms! The assumption that we are there because our male costars invited us takes away the work we also put in. Celebrate women's achievements!"
Kharlamova then made a follow-up post condemning those trying to blame members of the cast. The second post read: "Also, if you're using this tweet to criticize my cast mates, you missed the point! They are amazing!! I said CELEBRATE WOMEN, not hate on male actors."
