“To our incredible fans and everyone who’s been sharing in the excitement for the show: Your support, enthusiasm, and kindness have meant the world to us,” the statement reads. “As we gear up for more Heated Rivalry, please help us in making it the best it can be.”
“If you happen to come across one of our filming locations, please give our cast and crew the space they need to do what they do best. We promise it’ll be worth the wait!”
After the show crossed the border from Canada to America, Heated Rivalry became a TV sensation on HBO Max, with the ballad of Hollander and Ilya finally giving Americans the go-ahead to stop worrying and learn to love the hockey romance. However, the show’s irrepressible horniness couldn’t be contained on screen, and the show joined The Pitt as one of those TV dramas for adults who become too fixated on their parasocial relationships with television characters. As such, the cast of Heated Rivalry has had increasingly negative interactions with “creepy” fans. At Paris Fashion Week last month, Hudson Williams, who plays Shane Hollander, got into a confrontation with French autograph hounds. “This is fucking weird,” he told them. “You guys aren’t fans. You’re being creepy.” Earlier this year, Williams and co-star François Arnaud spoke out against some of the abuse they’ve experienced from supposed fans, telling them to “gtfoh.”
“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.'”
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