Photo Credit: HBO Max. Heated Rivalry official cover.
Steamy TV series “Heated Rivalry,” based on the novel by Rachel Reid, hit HBO Max on Nov. 28 and took the internet by storm.
The series follows professional hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander as they navigate not only a professional rivalry, but a personal rivalry as well.
Passionate scenes, impactful stories, a phenomenal soundtrack and hilarious cast interviews led to the series becoming a smash hit. According to Variety, “Heated Rivalry” is the most-watched series ever on Crave, the Canadian streaming service that created the show.
The show is the “top-rated non-animated acquired series on HBO Max since it launched in 2020,” Variety stated.
The series also has a rating of 9.0/10 on IMDB, with episode five receiving a whopping 9.9/10.
This popularity has amassed reviews from viewers all over the world, sparking real-life conversations from those that the show depicts.
Hudson Williams, who plays Shane Hollander, shared with Andy Cohen that he received messages from closeted professional athletes praising the show.
“Sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through, like, Instagram, and those ones are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show and it’s celebratory, but also sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerves,” Williams said.
Gus Kenworthy, an Olympic freestyle skier, told The New Yorker that he was extremely moved by the show, and that he lived a real life “Heated Rivalry.” He explained that he had secret ongoing relationships with other male athletes.
Furthermore, Kenworthy said that his relationship with Miley Cyrus was his version of Hollander’s “Rose,” a character in the show that Hollander has a brief relationship with and confides in her his sexuality.
Another athlete was also so moved by the show that he shared a statement detailing his struggles, and officially decided to come out.
Jesse Kortuem, a hockey player who left the sport after struggling with his sexuality, posted an emotional and powerful statement on Facebook on Jan. 13, crediting the show for the inspiration to share his story.
In the post, Kortuem details his childhood and his love for hockey. He explained that growing up in Minnesota meant “sports and competition were not just what we did. They were who we were.”
He shared that he felt as though he “lived in a constant state of dichotomy,” that he couldn’t play the sport he loved while also being gay.
“Like many closeted athletes, revealing who I truly was to my team would change everything in an instant… I spent every week in a locker room with guys I respected, yet I still did not feel safe enough to tell them who I truly was,” said Kortuem.
It wasn’t until 2017 when he participated in the Sin City Classic, an LGBTQ+ sporting event hosted in Las Vegas, that he felt he could love all parts of himself.
“From that moment forward, my life has never been the same,” Kortuem said. “It has been a long, vulnerable road to move past the closeted athlete persona… and find actual peace through the friendships I have developed through hockey.”
After posting his statement, Kortuem told Out, a magazine that focuses on LGBTQ+ media, that many closeted and gay men in hockey were being “hit hard” by Heated Rivalry. He said that he never thought something “so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport.”
At the end of his post, he added a message for any athletes who may still be in the closet or are struggling with their sexuality.
“I want you to know that there is hope and you’re not alone,” Kortuem said. “There is a life and a deep happiness waiting for you on your path. You will get through this, and it is going to be okay.”
