François Arnaud of Heated Rivalry addresses all the backlash about his alleged relationship with Connor Storrie in a podcast interview with Sirius XM.Both of them star in the popular hockey romance series, where Arnaud plays the role of Scott Hunter and Storrie portrays Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov. While the show is soaring high in success, there was also rumours about the alleged relationship between these two actors. The rumours were not received with kindness, as trolling and online backlash began pouring in.In the interview, François Arnaud addressed the NHL's historical exclusion of people from the LGBTQIA+ community as well as the public response to the alleged relationship. Arnaud talked about the importance of actual solidarity for the community, as he said:"Okay well, if you are gonna use our name, let's just like, back it up, Like back it up with real life sh*t."Keep reading to find out more about what the Heated Rivalry star has said.Here's what François Arnaud say about his alleged relationship rumors with Connor Storrie from Heated Rivalry View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIn a conversation with John Arthur Hill from Sirius XM, actor François Arnaud talked about the intense backlash that the alleged relationship rumours of him and Connor Storrie have endured.Arnaud traced back into the past of the NHL. While speaking, he mentions how in the past, the organization as a whole was not having an inclusive attitude towards the LGBTQIA+ conversation. He also cleared his stance about the NHL, as he states:"I think they are really good at it, I think they're actually really good at capitalizing on it. It was a joke when I winked, actually. You know? I was quoted in different media by various media but, like, I winked at the camera when I said, 'The failing NHL'". The NHL's not failing, it is a multi-billion dollar organization. That's not what I'm saying."While speaking, François Arnaud mentions how, in the past, the organization as a whole did not have an inclusive attitude towards LGBTQIA+ conversation. So now, if they are being supportive and open, they must extend a more authentic solidarity towards the queer community. He continues:"NHL historically has not been the most open organization to that kind of difference in their, you know, roster. So, I'm hoping that, yeah, they can, but if they won't, their sales are going up apparently, and if they, you know, the Boston Bruins tagged us on different clips online, and it's getting incredible traction. I'm just hoping that it's backed up by actual, like openness to diversity. And yeah, 'cause they banned, I think, people from wearing a Pride band a few years ago. Like, they banned a player."As per Reality Tea, François Arnaud had unfollowed fellow actors of Heated Rivalry after receiving trolling on the internet as fans suspect him and Connor Storrie of having an alleged relationship. Even though none of the actors publicly acknowledged or confirmed it, fans reacted strongly, fueled by their own expectations. Fans are heavily committed to the reel-life couplings in Heated Rivalry, so when they witnessed the rumor, it did not go according to their imagination.In order to step back from this unsafety, Arnaud chose to disengage from social media to protect himself. He maintained that this was nothing personal with the cast mates, and they share a fine relationship with him.Stay tuned for more such stories at Soap Central!Also read: Heated Rivalry Season 2: Fans Need to Prepare for This Devastating Twist in Shane and Ilya's Story