Heated Rivalry protagonist Hudson Williams has spoken openly about being compared to Princess Diana following his recent rise in fame. Since the premiere of Heated Rivalry, Hudson and his co-star Connor Storrie have gained massive public attention and online popularity. During an appearance on the podcast “Shut Up Evan,” hosted by Evan Ross Katz, the actor discussed fame, fashion, and the unexpected comparisons circulating online.
While talking about personal style, Hudson Williams explained that many of his fashion inspirations are women. He mentioned figures such as Rihanna, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Princess Diana, noting that he admires their presence, confidence, and how their clothing reflects their personalities. He also named other style influences, including A$AP Rocky, John F. Kennedy Jr., Ryan Gosling, and Tom Ford, describing how different eras, attitudes, and styles have shaped his own fashion taste.
“A lot of my fashion role models are women,” Williams says. “What they wear, their aura around them—Rihanna, Marilyn Monroe—there’s a sensuality to how they dress, and their clothes compliment that. Then I also like people who can be braggadocious and slightly loud; like ASAP [Rocky] is always a touchstone, always someone we talk about when we make a Pinterest board. John F. Kennedy Jr., Princess Diana, there’s a lot of cool mixes of tweed and then a t-shirt on a bike with a backwards hat and fun socks.”
Evan later pointed out that some fans on social media have referred to the actor as a “modern-day Princess Diana.” Hudson reacted with surprise and said he had only seen the comparison once. He explained that he has admired Diana for most of his life and respects her history, character, and independence. He added that the comparison felt unexpected but meaningful, saying it has been one of the best compliments he has received since jumping into stardom.
Hudson Williams on being dubbed the “modern day Princess Diana”:
“I love her my whole life […] That's one of the best compliments I've ever heard.” pic.twitter.com/kMb6umFGRd
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) January 20, 2026
“I’ve only seen this once. Someone sent this to me, and that was weird because I was like I have loved her my whole life, and her whole aura—everything about her history, who she was, her sort of irreverence is really sick, so yeah, I don’t even know what that means or what they’re seeing, but something cosmic of me always looking up to her hopefully exists, and that’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever heard,” the Heated Rivalry star said.
