Hudson Williams and Jordan Firstman have seemingly ended their so-called ‘beef’.
On 16 December, the Heated Rivalry star posted an Instagram selfie of the pair smoking together, complete with a red heart emoji over the I Love LA alum’s head.
Firstman later reposted the image with heart emojis of his own, implying that their feud is now firmly in the past.
The moment appears to mark the end of a brief but viral online spat, which began last week after Firstman criticised the sex scenes in Heated Rivalry.
“I’m sorry, I watched those first two episodes of Heated Rivalry and it’s just not gay,” he said in an interview with Vulture. “It’s not how gay people fuck. There’s so few things that actually show gay sex.”
He added: “I go to art to be confronted and to think, but a lot of people just want entertainment or to see two straight hockey players pretending to be gay and fucking.”
Alongside fan backlash, Firstman’s comments also drew criticism from the cast of Heated Rivalry.
François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, wrote in an Instagram post: “Is there only one way to have ‘authentic’ gay sex on TV? Should the sex that closeted hockey players have look like the sex that sceney LA gay guys have?”
Williams reshared Arnaud’s comment on Instagram, adding the caption: “But truly go watch I Love LA! Jordan and the cast are great!”
Firstman later appeared to walk back his remarks, writing in an Instagram Story: “I love Heated Rivalry and ultimately I’m a f***** who can’t shut the f*** up but I’m gunna get better at that.”
Based on Rachel Reid’s hit MLM series, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two elite professional hockey players who have a fierce rivalry on the ice but harbour a secret romantic relationship behind closed doors.
The official synopsis reads: “What begins as a secret fling between confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings off it.
“Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile – and powerful – as real love.”
Heated Rivalry has received universal critical acclaim, with praise aimed at its faithfulness to the source material, Williams and Storrie’s chemistry (on and off-screen!), and its iconic sex scenes.
On 12 December, Crave and HBO Max announced that Heated Rivalry will return for a second season, which Williams described as “hotter, wetter and longer”.
New episodes air every Friday on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the US, with the finale scheduled for 26 December.
As of writing, a release date for the UK is yet to be announced.
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