‘Heated Rivalry’ vs ‘I Love LA’ — Hudson Willams and Jordan Firstman Feud, Explained

What started as a press soundbite quickly turned into one of the internet’s most unexpected pop-culture pile-ons. Earlier this month, I Love LA star Jordan Firstman found himself at the center of a viral debate after weighing in on HBO Max’s buzzy hockey romance Heated Rivalry—and fans had thoughts.

In an interview with Vulture, Jordan criticized the show’s intimate scenes, saying Heated Rivalry doesn’t reflect how gay people actually have sex and instead caters to viewers who want to see “two straight hockey players pretending to be gay.” The comments sparked immediate backlash from fans of the series, who accused Jordan of policing queer storytelling and missing the point of the show entirely.

Two Heated Rivalry stars didn’t stay silent for long. Actor François Arnaud responded directly, writing, “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?” Hudson Williams reshared François’s comment and cheekily encouraged followers to check out I Love LA, adding fuel to the discourse rath...