Hudson Williams confronts autograph seekers after Paris encounter
Hudson Williams had a confrontation with autograph seekers in Paris.
Footage obtained by news.com.au and published on Monday, July 13, appears to show the "Heated Rivalry" star attempting to burn a photo someone asked him to sign after he exited a vehicle with companions. The actor appeared visibly upset during the confrontation, though it was not immediately clear what prompted his reaction.
USA TODAY reached out to Williams' representatives for comment.
"Guys, you just followed me to my residence," Williams said in the captured video. He was then approached by a small group of people, one of whom apologized for following him while holding an apparent photo and a marker.
"No, no 'sorry.' You can't do this," Williams responded, grabbing the photo and calling the behavior "weird." He is then recorded grabbing the marker and throwing it.
"You guys aren't fans," he said in the captured footage. "You're being really creepy, and you just followed me. You don't do this."
Williams appeared to pull out a lighter and attempted to set the photo on fire, but when it didn't ignite, he said, "I'm going to burn this at home."
He then told one of the autograph seekers to "leave," adding, "I want to watch you hop on your little bike."
After his second apparent attempt to burn the photo, Williams tore it up and threw it into the street. He and his companions were then filmed walking away, with one of them seen asking someone recording the encounter to "delete it."
The Canadian actor was in Paris for Haute Couture Fashion Week, where he attended Balenciaga's fall/winter 2026 show on July 8.
Williams shot to fame last year starring opposite Connor Storrie as hockey player Shane Hollander in the queer romance drama "Heated Rivalry."
The 25-year-old has previously spoken about the challenges of adjusting to fame. During an appearance on the Jan. 20 Shut Up Evan podcast, Williams said the experience "doesn't feel like anything you could prepare."
"It's a different existence now, not based on worth or whatever quality of human, but it's a different life," he said.
"When you see The Beatles, when you see BTS, there's an element of 'that's not another human, that's a celebrity,' which exists in this weird definition that is very abstract.
"I thought I could empathize with it, but I couldn't fully feel what they were going through until now," he said. "Now it's just brought this wave of sympathy because it's not easy."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hudson Williams confronts autograph seekers after Paris encounter
Reporting by Charlie Carballo, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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