Jill Biden bid $35K to appear in 'Heated Rivalry.' She didn't win
Jill Biden bid $35K to appear in 'Heated Rivalry.' She didn't win
Amaris Encinas, USA TODAYFri, April 17, 2026 at 6:54 PM UTC
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Jill Biden is a bona fide "Heated Rivalry" fan.
Armed with a bidding paddle at The LGBT Community Center’s Dinner on April 16 in New York City, the former First Lady was eager to score a walk-on role in the queer hockey series’ second season and a dinner with the show's creators, placing a $35,000 bid.
Biden, however, was "quickly outbid."
According to The Center, the intense bidding war led to the producers authorizing two walk-on roles for the top bidders at $125,000, resulting in a $250,000 donation.
US First Lady Jill Biden waves as she arrives to speak at the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center grand opening ceremony in New York on June 28, 2024.
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Biden, one of several high-profile figures in attendance, took the "L" in stride, writing in an X post that it was "worth a shot."
"Guess I won’t be heading to the cottage after all — but it was worth a shot! What a wonderful evening supporting @LGBTCenterNYC," Biden said in a reply to Variety about her bid.
Biden was "welcomed with a standing ovation for her and her husband’s support of the LGBTQ+ community" at the top of the program.
'Heated Rivalry' honored at annual fundraising gala
The "Heated Rivalry" fanfare didn't end there, as a Montreal Metros Jersey signed by leading man Hudson Williams, show creator Jacob Tierney, and "Game Changers" author Rachel Reid sold at silent auction for $15,000.
Tierney and his producing partner Brendan Brady were also presented with the Cultural Impact Award shortly before the bidding war began. Reid presented the award to the pair, according to Variety.
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1 / 0See ‘Heated Rivalry’ stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in photosConnor Storrie, left, and Hudson Williams attend the premiere of "Heated Rivalry" at TIFF Lightbox on Nov. 24, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario.
"Tierney and Brady have elevated and centered queer characters as fully realized leads whose desires, conflicts and tenderness are treated with dignity," Dr. Carla Smith, Center CEO, said ahead of the event.
"By championing our voices, they have brought queer joy and storytelling to the mainstream media and have created work that affirms and advances our community," Smith added.
When is 'Heated Rivalry' Season 2 coming out?
"Heated Rivalry" Season 2 is set to release in April 2027. In an February interview with "CBS Mornings," Tierney revealed that the second season would start filming this August.
"There will be more 'Heated Rivalry' on your TVs, like, truly, as soon as humanly possible," Tierney said.
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Season 2, which is an adaptation of Reid’s book “The Long Game," follows the secret relationship between Montreal hockey player Shane Hollander and Boston player Ilya Rozanov after Rozanov moves to Ottawa.
Williams and Connor Storrie, who are returning for Season 2, will appear alongside "Heated Rivalry" cast members François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Nadine Bhabha, Sophie Nélisse and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova.
Tierney said he felt Season 1 was a "very faithful adaptation" of the original "Heated Rivalry" book, and Season 2 can be expected to treat the source material with the same level of care.
Contributing: Catherine Messier, USAT TODAY Network New England
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jill Biden bid $35K to for role in 'Heated Rivalry.' She was outbid.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
