Hudson Williamsā life has changed drastically almost overnight. The Heated Rivalry star went from working as a server at the Spaghetti Factory to being so famous from the wild success of the gay hockey romance that he canāt even travel without a bodyguard.
Williams is in fact so famous that the bodyguard who has been tasked with protecting him has gone viral and has his own fanbase.
While in Paris for Fashion Week and sightseeing, photos and videos of the Shane Hollander actor and his bodyguard, who goes by Brad, started making the rounds on social media.
But who is this mysterious bodyguard and why are fans so obsessed?
Why does Williams need a bodyguard?
It became clear why Williams and those close to him ā his mom, girlfriend and groomer Aika Flores were also in Paris ā needed protection after facing a run-in with a group of autograph hunters. They followed Williams and his family to the Paris apartment he was staying in and used Meta glasses to film him while harassing the star for his signature.
āGuys, you just followed me to my residence,ā Williams says in the video of the incident that went viral. āNo āsorryā. You canāt do this. This is really f**king weird. You canāt f**king do this. You guys arenāt fans, youāre being really creepy and you just followed me. You donāt do this.ā
In the days leading up to the incident and those that followed, photos and videos started popping up online of Williams with Brad, with fans expressing gratitude that the 25-year-old actor had someone protecting him.
Who is Brad the bodyguard?
Williamsā bodyguard, who goes by Brad, may have gone viral, but little is known about him.
The celebrity bodyguard has been spotted all over Paris with Williams and has an Instagram account where heās been posting photos with Williams and Flores.
Fans have taken to jokingly referring to him as Julius, a reference to BeyoncĆ©ās longtime bodyguard.
The hunky bodyguard, who is frequently seen sporting a tight black T-shirt that shows off his bulging biceps, has even gotten in on the new fandom that has cropped up around him by posting one of the many fan edits on his Instagram account.
Brad also posted a photo of him accompanying Williams to a museum and another of the two men flashing peace signs while Williams smokes and leans against a bicycle.
āThank you for your trust and for welcoming me to your team,ā Brad wrote in the caption.
What has Brad said about working for Hudson Williams?
Brad not only thanked Williams for bringing him onto his team, but also posted a photo with Williams to his Instagram Stories with a long caption thanking fans for their support and assuring everyone that he takes his job protecting Williams very seriously.
āI just want to thank you all for your messages,ā he wrote. āThey truly mean a lot to me. I really appreciate all the support, kindness and trust youāve shown me. I will take care of our Hudson as if my own life depended on it. He and the entire team deserve so much love, and I will do everything I can to protect and care for them for the rest of their lives.ā
Brad also posted a photo of himself posing with Flores, showing off his bicep, where he called the groomer responsible for Williamsā iconic Met Gala look āincredibly professional, kind, and so thoughtful and caring.ā
Are Williams and Brad friends?
Fans have been taken not just by how hunky Brad is, but also by how seriously he takes his job of protecting their favorite star and how clear his friendship with Williams is.
Included in a Paris photo dump Williams posted on Instagram is a video of him play-fighting with Brad, a moment that fans couldnāt get enough of.
Williams also acknowledged Brad by reposting the photo of the two men flashing peace signs together with the caption āKhoya,ā a slang term for āmy brotherā in Arabic.
The fan obsession with Brad doesnāt stop at fan edits and glowing comments; theyāve also taken to photoshopping Brad into scenes from Heated Rivalry, showing him protecting Shane Hollander whenever his love interest, Ilya Rozanov, got out of line.
And the results are hilarious. Keep scrolling to see the best ones!
