'Heated Rivalry' stars, sexuality rumors and what we can learn
- - 'Heated Rivalry' stars, sexuality rumors and what we can learn
David Oliver, USA TODAY December 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
0
The only thing people are talking about more than "Heated Rivalry" is the stars of "the show." And that's not necessarily a good thing.
Rumors have swirled about whether the Canadian ice hockey drama's (season finale streams Dec. 26 on HBO Max, though it's already been renewed for Season 2) stars are queer like their characters.
The show has been heating up TV screens over the last several weeks, focusing on the steamy, secret romance between rising star professional hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). The pair play a cat-and-mouse game of sexual tension, sneaking off to hotel rooms whenever they're in each other's orbit as years of hockey seasons go by. There's nudity and no shortage of sex scenes, nor are they the only characters partaking in gay sex.
While Williams and Storrie the pair have been cozy during press for the show, neither have publicly confirmed their sexuality. “I feel honored to be able to bring someone to life that so many people feel seen, understood, and represented by, and I think that transcends whoever I’m sleeping with in my real life,” Storrie told Vulture. And Williams pushed back after the celebrity gossip Instagram Deuxmoi claimed he had a girlfriend, though his comment is now gone: "You know what, I’ve grown quite unfond of you deuxmoi."
Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, left, and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in "Heated Rivalry."
Celebrities and public figures regularly face speculation about their sexuality: Shawn Mendes, Kit Connor, Khalid, to name a few. But should they?
The short answer: No.
Because tThe consequences, especially if someone is pushed out of the closet, could be dire, mental health experts say. Take one spin through social media or Google anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S. and see why.
Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
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Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
">Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Task" (HBO)
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"Task" (HBO)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/5rnk7LLwniNYg6m9hZ_QAw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/045b158afe7fa773051dc35ccc08c7ab class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Task" (HBO)
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"Task" (HBO)
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"North of North" (Netflix)
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"North of North" (Netflix)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/R8rNQr2ixHBqrHup.MWbiQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/daa4d552e0f79ea483f8da364f3fb86f class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"North of North" (Netflix)
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"North of North" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/R8rNQr2ixHBqrHup.MWbiQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/daa4d552e0f79ea483f8da364f3fb86f class=caas-img> -
"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
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"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xBMdoeZVe3aIeqyecRiS3g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/481fdcaf52aad6be336cb8185b6ce54e class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
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"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/nKBw1w4DFp1sS2u2EzNFRg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/5b90ba315c2ecd6cfdf27a5229948045 class=caas-img> -
"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
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"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
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"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
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"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Ts_kTuiBOfnyj6CpiYrcgw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4d6b33b7daf9b027aab493f8a5e4d019 class=caas-img> -
"The American Revolution" (PBS)
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"The American Revolution" (PBS)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Gs6spEOEtCvkigKYuXj48A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MzM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/01f730a785d6d5772a883899c6039cd1 class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"The American Revolution" (PBS)
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"The American Revolution" (PBS)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Gs6spEOEtCvkigKYuXj48A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MzM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/01f730a785d6d5772a883899c6039cd1 class=caas-img> -
"Adolescence" (Netflix)
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"Adolescence" (Netflix)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bk3BvlEBjciADlc7vnZs7A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02MjE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9a21720c000a97dab0e721049165b892 class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Adolescence" (Netflix)
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"Adolescence" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bk3BvlEBjciADlc7vnZs7A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02MjE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9a21720c000a97dab0e721049165b892 class=caas-img> -
"Andor" (Disney+)
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"Andor" (Disney+)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ArZ6AeX.rrh5Nl_8R38.4A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD01MjA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c7e67a765516cdb936e9e156edac4f65 class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Andor" (Disney+)
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"Andor" (Disney+)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ArZ6AeX.rrh5Nl_8R38.4A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD01MjA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c7e67a765516cdb936e9e156edac4f65 class=caas-img> -
"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
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"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6uckj13BKr83Yc9oGJGbWQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/117496dbc736128a830c19b3ccc2f3bd class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
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"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6uckj13BKr83Yc9oGJGbWQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/117496dbc736128a830c19b3ccc2f3bd class=caas-img>
1 / 19The 20 best TV shows of 2025
Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
In case you missed: How 'Heated Rivalry' went nuclear with graphic gay sex, hockey, memes
Speculating about sexuality is intrusive
Connor, star of Netflix's "Heartstopper," came out as bisexual several years ago after feeling immense pressure.
"Back for a minute. I'm bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself," Connor wrote in a short tweet. Fans had accused the star of "queerbaiting" – when a straight, cisgender person seems to cash in on LGBTQ+ fashion, music, acting roles and more. Some have accused the "Heated Rivalry" stars of the same.
Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov, left, and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in "Heated Rivalry." The Canadian ice hockey drama focuses on the steamy, secret romance between rising star professional hockey players.
That Connor debacle highlighted what happens when queerbaiting accusations goes awry. "There is a vast difference between audiences raising legitimate concerns about exploitative, LGBTQ-mediated representations and queerbaiting and online trolling …" Melvin Williams, associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, previously told USA TODAY.
The same can be said for singer Mendes, who said in October 2024: "The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone." For a star who hasn't actually said anything definitive about his sexuality, countless social media posts sure like talking about it with no evidence.
Sure, anyone is free to discuss anything privately. But talking about someone's sexuality in a public forum when they're not comfortable with it is a whole other kind of intrusion. And even if they're comfortable privately, that doesn't make it tabloid fodder.
While people worry about a lack of authenticity in queer representation when out queer actors aren't in those roles, it's a more nuanced discussion than people like to admit. In Storrie's case, he's more concerned about who his character represents for people. Why should his sex life be part of the conversation?
More on 'Heated Rivalry': This sex-filled smutty TV series is taking over the internet. It's a big shift.
Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams don't owe us an answer
Then again: Shouldn't celebrities, influencers and those otherwise in the public eye expect questioning about their personal lives, unlike the average person?
Yes and no. "The nature of celebrity journalism is to glean as much information as possible about celebrities we arguably know too well," Williams explained. "Still, celebrities and non-celebrities do not owe the public a confirmation or explanation about their sexual orientations, and disclosures should remain a matter of choice."
Connor Storrie, left, and Hudson Williams attend the premiere of "Heated Rivalry" on Nov. 24, 2025, in Toronto. The Canadian series focuses on a secret romance between rising star professional hockey players.
Experts say people should never feel obligated to come out, especially when their safety is at risk. And eEven when they are more privileged, people also shouldn't come out if they're not ready.
And "Ideally, we are working to create a world without boxes or closets to 'come out of' because we would never be expected to be anything other than who we say we are," Moe Ari Brown, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told USA TODAY. "Until that shift happens, we must intentionally choose who we wish to invite into a celebration of our identities."
We may never know the truth about Storrie and Williams' private lives. That should not be controversial.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, 'Heated Rivalry' and sexuality rumors
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
