Hudson Williams’ Resurfaced Photo Controversy Explained

Hudson Williams is receiving backlash after a photo of him from high school resurfaced online.

The Heated Rivalry star came under fire in June 2026 after an image of him with writing on his skin and T-shirt made waves on social media. Some of the markings included various names, words and symbols. On his forehead, a swastika was drawn.

Shortly after the images went viral on social media, a source close to Williams told Us Weekly that “he had no idea what was being drawn on his face at the time.”

“The markings do not and have never reflected his beliefs, values or character. This is not something he wrote but something that was written on him,” the insider explained. “It was a bunch of intoxicated teens writing inappropriate things on each other to get reactions. Hudson had no idea at the time what was written on him. It was underage kids doing stupid, provocative s**t while drinking.”

Us Weekly has reached out to Williams’ spokesperson for comment.

Earlier this year, Williams and Heated Rivalry costar François Arnaud spoke out slamming online trolls for sharing hateful comments directed to the series’ cast.

“Don’t call yourself a fan if you share racist/homophobic/biphobic/misogynist/ageist/ableist/parasocial/bigoted comments of any kind,” read the post. “None of us need your hateful ‘love.’”

Keep scrolling for a complete breakdown on Williams’ resurfaced photo scandal:

What Was Hudson Williams Doing in the Photo?

In the resurfaced photo, Williams posed with two unidentified classmates. The Heated Rivalry actor can be seen wearing a blue T-shirt, which had been written on with a black marker. He also had markings drawn on his face. In addition to having words like “aids” and “mia” written across his face, a swastika was drawn on Williams’ forehead.

When Was the Hudson Williams Photo Taken?

It is unclear exactly when the photos of Williams and his classmates were taken. However, the images appear to be from years ago.

A Threads user, who appears to be from a similar area as Williams, provided context to the annual gathering.

“In this high-school, there is a yearly grad tradition called Grad Stag night. Basically the entire grad class goes and spends the entire night at a bush party and shows up at school with little to no sleep the next day,” the post read. “Yes, some parents attend to chaperone, and try to keep it under control and make sure there is zero drunk driving and do the DDing.”

The user added that the students write on each others’ blank shirts and it typically results in teens writing silly things.

“You have no idea what is being written or drawn on them. People who pass out get drawn on. This kind of thing happened even when I went to my Grad Stag party in 1993. Same high-school,” the post continued. “It is a silly tradition & there are ALWAYS one or 2 assholes who write or draw stupid things. Lots of penis/slurs”

What Did Fans Say About the Hudson Williams Photo?

Fans were quick to react to Williams’ photo scandal. Some shared their disappointment for the actor’s actions.

“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,” a fan tweeted while another wrote, “He was like 15 in that photo lmao some of you need to get a life.”

Others also gave Williams some grace due to his age.

“Do I think Hudson is racist? Nope. What I do think is that he’s a wasian boy who grew up in the whitest part of Canada and was a dumb teenager (like everybody else),” one user wrote via X while another shared, “He talks about feeling alone and constantly having to defend himself, he talked about doing embarassing [sic] stuff he regrets cause he tried to fit in and it wasn’t even him who made the drawing.”