Quick summary
- Hudson Williams has removed or archived most of his Instagram posts, leaving 12 professional ones, according to Indiatimes.
- Some fans have accused his Heated Rivalry co-star Connor Storrie of influencing the change. That is a fan claim, and neither actor has confirmed it.
- Indiatimes reports there is no confirmed sign of a falling-out between the two.
- On CBC’s The Assembly, which aired on 1 November, Williams called Storrie a “platonic soulmate”.
A wave of fan speculation about Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams is running across social media this week, after Williams cleared out most of his Instagram account in the days around 1 November. The Connor Storrie Hudson Williams Instagram story is, for now, a fandom theory rather than confirmed news, and the facts behind it are fairly simple.
What changed on Hudson Williams’ Instagram
According to Indiatimes, fans began to notice differences toward the end of October. The outlet reports that Williams reportedly deactivated his Threads account on 30 October and began archiving personal photos from Instagram.
The changes continued over the following days. Indiatimes says he unfollowed everyone on 1 November, taking his following count to zero. By 2 November, casual selfies, personal photos and behind-the-scenes moments, including pictures with Storrie, were no longer visible. Only 12 professional posts remained, giving the account what the outlet calls a brand-focused look.
Williams has not publicly explained the clean-up.
The “brainwashing” claim
The theory took off after a viral post joked that Storrie was “brainwashing” Williams into running a brand-style account. The logic, as Indiatimes describes it, is that Storrie had already wiped his own personal posts and kept a minimal presence as attention around Heated Rivalry grew.
Not every fan agreed. One Hudson supporter quoted by the outlet pointed out that Storrie made the same move months ago and nobody read anything into it. Others were supportive, urging the actor to put his mental health first. A smaller group was harsh, and some comments were abusive, which says more about parts of the fandom than about either actor.
Indiatimes also notes that Williams has spoken before about the downsides of overnight fame, including uncomfortable fan encounters, airport stalking and the difficulty of sudden public attention. A tighter, more private account could simply be a boundary between work and home life. That is the outlet’s reading, and it is an interpretation, not a statement from Williams.
What the two actors have actually said
The timing matters because Williams had just addressed the friendship directly. Fashion Times UK reports that on CBC’s The Assembly, which premiered on Sunday 1 November, an interviewer asked whether he had ever felt something for Storrie beyond friendship. Williams answered “No”, and described the pair as “platonic soulmates” who can be themselves around each other.
He added a joke that he and Storrie “could cuddle for 10 hours” without it meaning anything more, then admitted, “That’s not a saying.” The format of the show, in which guests are questioned by autistic and neurodivergent interviewers, tends to produce more direct questions than a standard press junket, Fashion Times notes. We covered the interview in more detail in our report on Hudson Williams on The Assembly and our piece on the “platonic soulmates” comments.
Storrie has spoken in similar terms. In a December 2025 interview with W Magazine, quoted by Fashion Times, he said, “Hudson is my best friend, and I literally can’t fathom doing this without him.” Indiatimes adds that the pair were reportedly seen celebrating Halloween with friends including Edvin Ryding and Robert Naylor).
Why fans read so much into it
The show casts the two as hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, whose relationship grows into a secret romance over several years. Fashion Times says the actors’ ease with each other in interviews, including frequent hugs and compliments, has fed fan edits and real-person fiction. Indiatimes says parts of the fandom regularly ship the co-stars off screen, which adds to the pressure on both men.
What happens next
Neither actor has commented on the Instagram changes, and Indiatimes is clear that the “brainwashing” line remains an accusation from fans. Until Williams or Storrie says otherwise, the safest reading is that an actor has tidied his profile. More coverage of the show’s cast is on our TV & Dramas page.
Frequently asked questions
Did Hudson Williams delete his Heated Rivalry posts?
Indiatimes reports he removed or archived most personal posts, including photos with Storrie, leaving 12 professional posts as of 2 November. He has not explained why.
Is there a falling-out between Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams?
No. Indiatimes says there is no confirmed sign of one, and on The Assembly Williams described Storrie as a “platonic soulmate”.
Did Connor Storrie tell Hudson Williams to change his Instagram?
There is no evidence of that. It is a claim made by some fans, and Williams has not confirmed any influence.
