The “Heated Rivalry” star has been under scrutiny after an unverified photo of him as a teenager with a swastika drawn on his forehead appeared online.

Simu Liu defends Hudson Williams against ‘massive hate campaign’ after resurfaced photo sparks backlash

The "Heated Rivalry" star has been under scrutiny after an unverified photo of him as a teenager with a swastika drawn on his forehead appeared online.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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June 10, 2026 7:16 p.m. ET

Simu Liu; Hudson Williams. Credit:

Gilbert Flores/Variety; Noam Galai/Getty

- Marvel star Simu Liu showed his support for Hudson Williams after an unverified photo of the *Heated Rivalry* star as a teenager began circulating online and sparked backlash.

- The photo surfaced amid what social users have alleged to be a smear campaign against Williams.

- "I began to recognize patterns whenever people of color specifically had a moment of visibility," Liu said in a comment online. "It happened like clockwork and I see it happening now. The internet is insane."

Simu Liu is stepping up to show his support for Hudson Williams after an unverified photo of the *Heated Rivalry* star as a teenager began circulating online and sparked backlash.

Williams, who has been one of the stars subjected to online vitriol since the Crave series adaptation of Rachel Reid's *Game Changers *universe premiered in November, has come under fire after a photo surfaced on social media appearing to show him as a teenager with a swastika drawn on his forehead. The photo — which has not been authenticated and was shared by unverified accounts on X — ignited debate as users argued over its context and the circumstances surrounding the reveal.

Liu chimed in on the conversation in a post shared on Threads, where the Marvel star stated that the controversy seemingly reflected a pattern of "massive hate campaign(s)" being launched against actors of color.

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

"I have this very specific trauma attached to people on the internet fabricating things about me and twisting things into a massive hate campaign when I first broke out," the actor wrote, referring to his breakout role as Shang-Chi in 2021's *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings*. "I began to recognize patterns whenever people of colour specifically had a moment of visibility."

He added, "It happened like clockwork and I see it happening now. The internet is insane. Bad actors are everywhere. If you're here, be careful. Be smart. "

In a separate post, Liu slammed an outlet's reporting of the situation, demanding they "stop picking on people of colour for absolutely nothing,"

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While Williams has not publicly addressed the controversy, a source close to the Canadian Screen Award winner told TMZ that he was unaware of what had been drawn on him at the time and that the markings did not reflect his beliefs or values.

The outlet reported that they were told the photo was taken during a "campout" tradition in Williams' Canadian hometown of Kamloops. During said campout, teens would "party and cover each other's clothing and skin with Sharpie drawings" while out in the woods.

Along with the swastika drawn onto the side of his head, the photo of Williams shows a cross in the middle of his forehead, several names written over his cheeks and chin, as well as on the blue sweater he's wearing.

"The markings do not and have never reflected Hudson's beliefs, values, or character," the source told the outlet.

Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Courtesy Bell Media

The recent photo surfaced amid what social users have alleged to be a smear campaign against the actor.

In the months since he gained fame on *Heated Rivalry*, Williams' personal life has also been under attack. Although neither he nor his co-star Connor Storrie have discussed their sexuality — and show creator Jacob Tierney has adamantly shut down speculation on the topic — Williams' relationship with his girlfriend has made him the target of accusations of exploiting LGBTQ+ culture to gain recognition while being perceived as heterosexual.

Williams has only ever stated that he considers "sexuality to be more fluid than people think."

Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova, Robbie Graham-Kuntz, Brendan Brady, Hudson Williams, Jacob Tierney, Sophie Nelisse, and Nadine Bhabha at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards.

Mathew Tsang/WireImage

While being interviewed by *Heated Rivalry* costar Sophie Nélisse for *Wonderland* magazine in January, Williams reacted to the hate he receives: "I didn't think there would be as many disrespectful people as there are. And vice versa, I didn't think there would be as many respectful people as there are."

"I thought everyone would just be screaming, nice, or kind of like, 'Oh my God,'" he continued. "But there are people who are like, 'No, let's be respectful to him and his private life. Let's not share these photos. When we approach him on the street, let's be mindful of appropriate times.' I'm seeing those comments, and that's cool. But then there are disrespectful people who are just like, 'F--- that guy.' And I'm like, holy s---. Why are people hating on me? There's also all this fake news about me. And I'm like, 'How do I already have fake news?'"

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In response to the accusations against Williams, his fans on social media have begun speaking out in defense of him under the hashtag #IStandWithHudsonWilliams.

"The 25 y/o actor who picked a gay role, did it justice, always spoke up for the LGBT community, made queer movies with $5 with his friends for years prior, even as a film student, and whose own Vsco account show his actual beliefs," one user wrote on X.

"What's becoming increasingly obvious is that some people have no interest in understanding the context or acknowledging who Hudson is today instead they seem more focused on keeping the controversy alive for as long as possible when no explanation is ever enough," another X user wrote.

François Arnaud as Scott Hunter and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander on 'Heated Rivalry'.

Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max

A user on Threads wrote, "We need to have a very serious and uncomfortable conversation. This level of vitriol directed at Hudson comes from a faction of the fandom, and that faction openly claims to support the show's white lead. Things do not exist in a vacuum."

Others have decried the use of marginalized communities in a bid for a "gotcha" moment against the actor, as well as the invasiveness of digging into private citizens' accounts to find photos of Williams as a teenager.

Reps for Crave, Williams, and Liu did not immediately respond when ** reached out for comment.

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