Gus Kenworthy shared high praise for Heated Rivalry — revealing that he can relate to the closeted gay characters in the show.
The Olympic freestyle skier publicly came out in 2015 after catapulting to fame following the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Before he came out, Kenworthy, 34, was even linked to pop star Miley Cyrus, paralleling the relationship between Hudson Williams’ Shane Hollander and movie star Rose Landry (played by Sophie Nélisse).
“I just finished [the show],” Kenworthy told The New Yorker in an interview published on Sunday, January 25. “At first, I didn’t understand the big deal. It was fun to watch, but it was sort of smut. I honestly thought, ‘All these thirsty gays! Y’all are just horny.’ Like, you could watch porn?”
“[But] people kept telling me, ‘Just wait—it tugs on the heartstrings.’ And then it did. The third episode changed things for me,” the Olympic silver medalist shared, referring to the standalone episode centered around François Arnaud’s closeted hockey player, Scott Hunter.
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Kenworthy explained, “I actually wrote a message to the show’s creator because I was so moved, and didn’t expect to be. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself reflected onscreen like that, in such a substantial way. The parallels are kind of insane.”
In the third episode, Scott secretly dates barista Kip (Robbie G.K.), with whom he has a whirlwind romance at the height of his fame.
“I also had a secret relationship, with these clandestine meetings and hookups,” he explained. “And Miley Cyrus was my own Rose, this famous person that I was suddenly linked to, and as much as I kind of wanted it — because that’s the person you would want to be with if you’re straight, someone successful and beautiful and talented — it’s not the same as when you’re with a guy.”
“And then the Scott Hunter character — I really related to him. He wanted to be out, but really, just truly felt like he couldn’t be, because of his circumstances,” Kenworthy added. “That was me for so many years. I had the same yearning — to be in love, to be public, and to not have to hide.”
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Kenworthy also pitched himself for an appearance in Heated Rivalry season 2.
“You know, I played hockey through high school. I can skate, and I know how to handle a stick,” he quipped.
Kenworthy will represent the United Kingdom in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, having previously represented the U.S. in 2014 and 2018.
The sports star reflected on his brief connection with Cyrus, 33, following the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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“Our event was February 13th, and we swept the podium, and the next day was Valentine’s Day — all the reporters were asking: ‘What’s your dream date?’ ‘Who’s your celebrity crush?’ We were these three young guys. And I remember just feeling really tormented: Do I make a joke in quotes and say, like, Jake Gyllenhaal.”
He continued, “I kind of panicked and said Miley Cyrus. … And all these people tweeted it out. Neither of those girls responded to those guys, but Miley tweeted at me and followed me. It was surreal for a number of reasons, but I was also digging myself this deeper and deeper hole.”
“I actually love her. But then there was some flirty texting, and I remember thinking, ‘What am I doing?’” he said. “I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to keep waking up and lying.”
