Hudson Williams' girlfriend hits back after trolling following 'Heated Rivalry' fame

To counter the hate, Katelyn Larson has made an Instagram account with "nepo gf" in the bio

Hudson Williams' girlfriend has won praise from fans after responding with humour to a wave of online trolling that followed the actor's breakout success in Heated Rivalry.

Williams, who stars as Shane Hollander in the hit hockey romance series, has been dating Vancouver tattoo artist Katelyn Rose Larson for several years. While she previously maintained only a professional Instagram account dedicated to her tattoo work, the sudden attention surrounding Williams' rising fame has thrust her into the spotlight. 

In July 2025, Katelyn introduced herself on her tattoo page, writing: "My name is Katelyn, I'm 24 years old and I've been working at Pulse Vancity for over two years now :) I specialize in fineline tattoos, but I'm always up for trying new styles!"

As Williams' popularity exploded, Katelyn launched a personal Instagram account, which the actor promoted on his own Instagram Stories. At the time of writing, the account has amassed more than 81,000 followers despite featuring just a single post.

The post is a carousel beginning with a sunset photo, with Williams not appearing until the fifth image, a casual selfie of the couple in swimwear while on holiday.

That was enough to attract a flood of negative comments, with some social media users accusing Katelyn of dating Williams for fame and making cruel remarks about her appearance.

Rather than deleting the criticism, Katelyn chose to lean into it. She pinned one of the hate comments to the top of the post and changed her Instagram bio to read: "nepo gf"

The pinned comment reads: "love an influencer wannabe! glad your hair touched some water," referencing several insulting comments aimed at her appearance.

Williams also appeared to publicly support his girlfriend during the backlash. As the criticism circulated online, the actor shared a selfie with Katelyn on his Instagram Story alongside the caption: "luhhh you."

Fans quickly applauded the couple's response, with many praising Katelyn for refusing to let the negativity affect her.

One popular comment on her Instagram post read: "Girl pinning a hate comment is the funniest thing you could have done and I love it 😂"

Another fan wrote: "'Nepo gf' in her bio gives me life. 😂❤️"

A third added: "Pinning a hate comment is so hilarious. No wonder she and H have been together so long, they're not gonna put up with any of your bs."

The playful response has been widely celebrated by fans, who viewed Katelyn's decision to joke about the criticism rather than engage with it as a confident way of handling the sudden attention that has come with Williams' growing success.