Fandoms are not inherently toxic. They’re a space for people to share the joy and love they have for that particular piece of media. They are, oftentimes, safe spaces for fans to be themselves when they otherwise can’t be. Lifelong friendships are made. It’s a joyous space–or, it should be.
As social media continues to grow and dominate the landscape, fandoms start to get poisoned. Whereas in the days of message boards and internet chat rooms access was limited, now fans have 24/7 access to actors via Instagram, X, TikTok, and more. Where there was once a line between celebrities and fans, it’s now become muddied with a sort of expectation, you could say.
Parasociality is the one-sided psychological bonds or relationships people form with media figures, celebrities, influencers, or fictional characters who are unaware of their existence. People will become too familiar with a celebrity, messaging them or responding to posts as if they are friends and expecting a response from them. Conversely, it also gives them a sense of entitlement to be, simply put, mean.
Heated Rivalry has been nothing short of a smash success. It’s become a global phenomenon, with stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams blowing up overnight. They have been invited to fashion events and were also torchbearers for the Winter Olympics. The hockey romance has become one of the most mainstream queer shows enjoyed by viewers regardless of sexuality.
The bad comes with the good
However, such a meteoric rise comes with complications. Many fans are overzealous, willing to jump at any criticism with teeth bared. And Heated Rivalry has not been without its criticisms, including those from queer men. No piece of media is perfect, and oftentimes for the sake of either clarity or easier storytelling for mainstream sacrifices in realism must be made.
One thing you, as a fan, must realize is that there will be people who do not like your chosen piece of media. It’s just a fact. If somebody has a bad take, then they have a bad take. If they have genuine criticism, then you need to respect that.
Fledgling fandoms like Heated Rivalry‘s go through growing pains, especially when the show blows up the way that it did. However, there does not seem to be any change on the horizon for the toxic subsection of this fandom, because they have set their sights not just on critics, but on the very actors involved in the show.
How François Arnaud went from beloved to enemy number one
Recently, Slate posted an article about the toxicity of the Heated Rivalry fandom. As it began making the rounds on sites like X, some wondered why an article like that was even penned. Those in the fandom were quick to pull receipts, quoting it with screenshots from fandoms blatantly attacking star François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter in the series.
Not long after, a PDF began circulating, documenting 142 pages of detailed accounts against the star through February 5, 2026. In it, the anonymous author goes through every documented piece of avidence against the actor, crafting a timeline.
According to them, the fandom itself was unified until January 13-15, which was a major turning point for the fandom. Arnaud and Storrie were seen in New York and then LA. (They were filming Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Kelly Clarkson Show, respectively).
Prior to this, as expected for press for a show where they are the leads, Williams and Storrie were always spotted together. It is clear that this proximity created a sense of ownership among the fans, especially those who are into RPF (real person shipping).
What is RPF, and how can it be toxic?
RPF itself is not inherently toxic. There are no reason to vilify it for existing, especially when the people participating are being respectful and making sure that those featured never see it. It exists through fanfiction sites like AO3, and can be seen on X as well.
The problem with the Heated Rivalry fandom, though, is that some of them simply take it too far. Arnaud is the only openly queer actor (he’s bisexual, and has been open about having a male partner). To these fans, that makes him a threat to their ship. And as it historically goes, they create smear campaigns and lies to turn others against them.
Suddenly, Arnaud is hated. He is a groomer (never mind that Storrie is an adult). Death threats are sent constantly through comments on his Instagram posts. People are blatantly homophobic and try to turn around and say it’s not homophobia if they don’t like the person.
Said one user, “The 40-year-old actor who is trying to take advantage of Connor keeps invading Connor’s private life and throwing shade at Haddon, and has alienated the friendship between the two main actors
of HR who, until 3 weeks ago, were very close friends and were always together.”
They also posted, “He’s so weird., he seems like a ghost following Connor everywhere besides, he ended his long-term relationship as soon as he saw that Connor was becoming too famous… that’s why the HR fandom hates him so much.”
Another said, succinctly, “Hudson and Connor are the pairing we knew we needed. We hate Francois Arnaud.”
TLDR: celebrities’ lives are not your business
The PDF is full of screenshots of posts from X teeming with vitriol, homophobia, and lies. The more it’s talked about, the more it gains traction from those who want to blindly believe what others say just because they fear their fictional ship is in danger. They say Arnaud cheated on his ex-partner. They call him a hag. They trash him for defending himself online. They perceive him as a wedge between their faves, when the reality is that he is probably just as close to Williams and Storrie as they are to each other.
We are not privy to what happens in celebrities’ lives, nor should we really even care. Whether or not somebody is dating, or are friends, is none of our concern. You are not owed anything. If they are seen out to dinner, they’re out to dinner.
Speculating is fine when it’s harmless. RPF is fine when it’s harmless. If you want to joke around and say Oh, it looks like they’re on a date! to a paparazzi photo, again–fine, if it’s harmless. But what is happening with some members of the Heated Rivalry fandom has gone much further than that.
If you’re sending death threats to somebody who you don’t know who also doesn’t even know you exist, maybe it’s time to rethink your priorities.
(Featured image: Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
Rachel Tolleson
Rachel (she/her) is a freelancer at The Mary Sue. She has been freelancing since 2013 in various forms, but has been an entertainment freelancer since 2016. When not writing her thoughts on film and television, she can also be found writing screenplays, fiction, and poetry. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her cats Carla and Thorin Oakenshield but is a Midwesterner at heart. She is also a tried and true emo kid and the epitome of “it was never a phase, Mom,” but with a dual affinity for dad rock. She also co-hosts the Hazbin Hotel Pod, which can be found on TikTok and YouTube.