Hudson Williams is being haunted by a Sharpie stain from his past. Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams, 25, is facing backlash on June 7 after an old photo surfaced appearing to show a teenaged Williams with dozens of words and symbols drawn on his clothes and skin, most notably including what appears to be a swastika and an upside-down cross on his forehead. Oops. It’s the first week of Pride Month. Not the best time for a photo like this to surface.
‘Heated Rivalry’ star Hudson Williams ‘deeply regrets’ resurfaced pic of swastika drawn on his face: report https://t.co/bsWhFUTEcA pic.twitter.com/m5t69ZjGNN
— Page Six (@PageSix) June 7, 2026
The photo went viral on Saturday after two separate posts shared images of Williams as a teenager. In the photos, the actor is seen partying with friends, with their clothes and faces covered in marker drawings. While many of the drawings are just people’s names, there are other words and markings, including the word “AIDS,” an upside down cross on his forehead, and a swastika drawn above his temple.
The photos date back to his high school years in a small Canadian town, where teens participate in an annual “campout” tradition that often involved underage drinking — partying, and covering one another’s shirts, faces, and bodies with Sharpie drawings. We’re told Hudson had no idea what was being drawn on his face at the time … and the offensive symbol was the result of other intoxicated teens scribbling inappropriate images on one another in an attempt to get laughs and shock reactions.
A friend of Hudson’s tells TMZ, “The markings do not and have never reflected Hudson’s beliefs, values, or character.” Those close to the actor say he understands the hurt and disappointment the photo has caused and deeply regrets it. We’re told he does not condone or support the offensive markings that were drawn on him and recognizes the seriousness of the symbol seen in the image. His people called it drunk teenagers doing “dumb things” and said he knows today it was inexcusable. Williams hasn’t said anything publicly.
Regardless, many X users were appalled by the old photo. “Drunk teens scribbling swastikas for laughs and he ‘had no idea’? bro was posing in the pic… excuses getting creative,” wrote one person, while another added, “Teen stupidity at a drunk campout is one thing, but posing for pics with it clearly visible + other past drama makes the ‘had no idea’ excuse pretty weak. He should just own it and apologize properly.”
Still, some fans defended the star. “This is such a f–king non story. Your actions as a silly teenager don’t define you. Hudson doesn’t owe anyone any kind of explanation or apologies,” said one devoted follower, while another insisted, “He was like 15 in that photo lmao some of you need to get a life.” Many others noted that Williams wasn’t the only person in the photos with distasteful words and images on him, as others also had swastikas, swears, “AIDS,” and Hitler mustaches drawn on their faces.
WeHo had real affection for this guy going into Pride weekend. Last December he and co-star Connor Storrie showed up in the Rainbow District unannounced. No PR, no event — they just showed up. Hit Hi Tops for trivia night, then Gym Bar, then Rocco’s WeHo. Took photos all night. Raised more than $1,500 for Rainbow Labs, a local nonprofit supporting queer youth.
Who is Hudson Williams? The Canadian actor rose to fame in late 2025 with his breakout role as Shane Hollander in the hockey romance drama Heated Rivalry. The HBO Max series became an unexpected viral hit, earning praise for Williams’ performance and on-screen chemistry with his co-star and pal Connor Storrie.
But burgeoning celebrity can also mean unwanted scrutiny. Since the show’s rise in late 2025, Williams has himself been subject to anti-Asian racist comments about his appearance from the Heated Rivalry fandom, which led him, as well as co-stars François Arnaud and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova to release statements condemning the behavior. “Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/ homophobic/ biphobic/ misogynistic/ ageist/ ableist/ parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind,” the statement read. “None of us need your hateful ‘love’.”
The Sharpie has long since washed off … but the controversy is proving much tougher to scrub away.
Sourcing Report: This article was compiled using direct, verbatim excerpts from reporting by the TMZ Staff, Mathew Rodriguez (Them), Emy LaCroix (Parade), Ron Dicker (HuffPost/AOL), Antoinette Bueno (Page Six/news.com.au), and WEHOonline.
Leo FS is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Max has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today’s digital landscape.
This is clearly a situation where friends drew offensive scribbles on his face for a laugh, but ya’ll wanna act like the kid had a Hitler shrine in his room.