Image Credit: WireImage
Hudson Williams is facing criticism for an old photograph that has reappeared this week. The image in question depicts the 25-year-old *Heated Rivalry* star as a teenager, with a swastika marker on his forehead, alongside other drawings.
While Hudson has not made a public statement regarding the controversial picture, an acquaintance of the actor informed TMZ, “The markings do not and have never reflected Hudson’s beliefs, values, or character.”
As per the publication, sources close to the Canadian talent characterized the high school incident as merely a group of teenagers engaging in “dumb things” while under the influence. They further elaborated that the students in Hudson’s small hometown participated in an annual “campout,” which involved consuming alcohol, partying, and decorating each other’s faces and shirts with various Sharpie scribbles.
“hudson williams stuns in newly shared photo” pic.twitter.com/N4oQVhUxmI
— hannah 🐳 (@hanfromdastreet) June 7, 2026
Individuals close to Hudson communicated to TMZ that he is cognizant of the “hurt and disappointment the photo has caused and deeply regrets it.” The outlet further indicated that he “does not condone or support” the swastika image or any offensive depictions.
Following his virtually instantaneous rise to widespread fame from his breakthrough performance as Shane Hollander in *Heated Rivalry*, Hudson and his co-stars Connor Storrie, Robbie G.K., and François Arnaud experienced a significant surge in their social media followings. However, they also encountered online detractors, some of whom posted discriminatory remarks concerning Hudson, who is of Korean heritage on his mother’s side.
In March, Hudson and François, 40, jointly issued a statement on Instagram Stories, denouncing the malicious online commentary.
“Do not identify as a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind,” the co-stars asserted. “None of us require your hateful ‘affection.’ We all respect, support, and cherish one another and stand united. If you cannot accept this, leave.”
*Heated Rivalry* debuted in November 2025 and is adapted from Rachel Reid‘s *Game Changers* book series. The series became one of the most discussed shows over the past year, with episode 5 of its inaugural season achieving a rating on IMDb comparable to a *Breaking Bad* episode, ranking among the highest-rated television episodes ever.
The second season is anticipated to debut in April 2027.