Here's How "Heated Rivalry" Stars Hudson Williams And François Arnaud Responded To Criticism Of The Show's Sex Scenes

Heated Rivalry, the spicy show based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers novel series, is certifiably a hot topic.

The series features two rival professional hockey players, Canadian Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and the Russian-born Illya Rozanov (played by Connor Storrie), whose "heated rivalry" on the ice transforms into heated passion in the bedroom.

While the show sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 90% audience score, the BookTok sensation-turned-TV guilty pleasure isn't the hottest thing for everybody.

In an interview with Vulture, I Love LA star Jordan Firstman was recently prompted to compare the sex scenes between gay characters in his show to Heated Rivalry, and this was his response:

Yeah, we're going for it. It's gay," Jordan said. "I'm sorry, I watched those first two episodes of Heated Rivalry, and it's just not gay. It's not how gay people fuck. There's so few things that actually show gay sex."

Speaking of the gay sex scenes in I Love LA, Jordan added, "A straight guy could not write that. They don't know what the camaraderie of gay sex is. So, yeah, I think I definitely led the charge with that."

For context, I should note that Heated Rivalry's writer, director, and executive producer is openly gay filmmaker Jacob Tierney.

Jordan's criticism provoked a response from another star from Heated Rivalry, François Arnaud, who portrays Scott Hunter, a [spoiler] hockey player.

"Is there only one way to have 'authentic' gay sex on tv?" François wrote in an Instagram comment. "Should the sex that closeted hockey players have look like the sex that sceney LA gay guys have?"

Hudson responded in an Instagram story, resharing François's comment with a rather polite call to action for his fans. "But truly go watch I Love LA! Jordan and the cast are great!!" he wrote.

Elsewhere in his Vulture interview, Jordan mentioned why people want to watch Heated Rivalry over stories like his 2023 film Rotting in the Sun. "They want to see Heated Rivalry. 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."

When the interviewer suggested the sexuality of some of Heated Rivalry's actors is unknown, he said, "Then you know what? I am one of those bitches who says, 'Then say it.' A gay guy would say it. I don't respect you because you care too much about your career and what's going to happen if people think you're gay."

Here's my two cents. With the risk of sounding so much like a Libra, I'm a fan of both shows. There's definitely more than one way to represent queer sex in TV shows and movies. It's as if we become so caught up in the fantasy of our own experiences that we rob ourselves of the enjoyment of others' representation. I Love LA, Heated Rivalry, and most of these popular shows never show Black LGBTQ intimacy — yet, I'm still a fan. So, it's not that hard to enjoy something that has absolutely nothing to do with people who look like you.

What are your thoughts? Let's discuss in the comments.

UPDATE On Dec. 13, Jordan shared an Instagram story, responding to the backlash he's faced for his comments about Heated Rivalry. "I love Heated Rivalry and ultimately I'm a f**** who can't shut the fuck up but I'm fgunna get better at that," he wrote.

Dec. 13, 2025, at 17:44 PM