‘Heated Rivalry’ fans demand Kevin Zegers’ removal srom season 2 over Zionist views
The campaign calls on Crave, creator Jacob Tierney and the show’s producers to recast Zegers’ character, Coach Wiebe
Heated Rivalry fans are pushing back against Kevin Zegers’ casting in the upcoming second season, with a growing petition calling for the actor to be removed from the hit series over his support for Zionist views and his past social-media activity supporting Israel.
The Change.org petition, titled “Remove Kevin Zegers from ‘Heated Rivalry’ season 2”, argues that Zegers’ views conflict with the values of a series that has become particularly meaningful to audiences because of its LGBTQ+ representation and themes of acceptance and inclusivity.
The petition describes Heated Rivalry as a show that has “come to mean a lot to many people” because of the representation it provides, before arguing that casting a Zionist contradicts those values. The campaign specifically calls on Crave Canada, creator Jacob Tierney and the show’s producers to recast Zegers’ character, Coach Wiebe.
The campaign has gained significant attention among fans, with the petition showing 2,596 verified signatures as of September 4. More than 2,300 people had signed on the same day, according to the petition page.
The controversy centres on Zegers’ past online activity relating to Israel and Palestine. The petition says that the actor has engaged in Islamophobic rhetoric and indirectly supported Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The backlash has become part of a wider conversation among Heated Rivalry fans about whether a show built around queer love, acceptance and marginalised characters should employ actors whose publicly expressed positions are perceived by the audience as incompatible with those themes.
For many, the issue is not being framed as a question of religion or Jewish identity, but as opposition to a political ideology and to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Zegers is set to play Coach Wiebe in season 2, joining the returning stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who will reprise their roles as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. The second season is adapting material from Rachel Reid’s novels The Long Game and Role Model.
The casting has therefore become particularly contentious for some viewers who see Heated Rivalry as more than a conventional romance. The series’ popularity has been closely tied to its portrayal of queer characters navigating love, identity, discrimination and acceptance, leading some fans to argue that those principles should extend beyond the show’s storylines.
At present, there has been no announcement that Zegers will be removed from the production. He remains attached to season 2 as Coach Wiebe, while the petition continues to call for his recasting.
