What Does ‘RPF’ Mean? Everything to Know After Hudson Williams Comment
What To Know
- Hudson Williams, the star of Heated Rivalry, publicly asked fans to stop “rpfing.”
- He used the term in response to a fan’s post on Threads.
- Swooon breaks down what the term means below.
Hudson Williams has a message for fans: Stop “rpfing.”
The Heated Rivalry actor took to Threads to share his request on May 5. He responded to a user who reposted a photo from his Met Gala 2026 Instagram dump, which he overlayed with a Rihanna breakup song. In a since-deleted post, the user screen-grabbed the lyrics, specifically a portion that disses an ex and his new girlfriend.
So, what is the meaning behind RPF in this context? It’s a term that most fandoms have become acquainted with by now, especially those well-versed in fan fiction, but we know not everyone is immersed in that world. Get the full RPF rundown below.
What does RPF mean?
RPF stands for Real Person Fiction. In other words, it’s fan fiction about real people, most often celebrities. Typically, an RPF will imagine a romance between two famous people, regardless of whether they ever confirmed a relationship in real life. Remember in the heyday of One Direction, when fans were shipping Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson and taking to platforms like Wattpad and Archive of Our Own to write stories about them? That’s an RPF.
Williams is using RPF-ing as a verb here, but the idea is the same. He didn’t outright mention his Heated Rivalry costar Connor Storrie, nor did the user he originally responded to, but many fans have started shipping the two actors together. Williams and Storrie have confirmed in multiple interviews that they’re just close platonic friends, but that hasn’t stopped a number of Heated Rivalry fans from hoping that Williams and Storrie’s on-screen romance turns into a real one.
Neither of the actors has addressed the RPF-ing until now. Williams shut down the user who seemed to speculate on his love life. They screenshotted the following lyrics: “I bet she could never make you cry / ‘Cause the scars on your heart are still mine / Tell me that she couldn’t get this sting / She can almost be the worst of me / Too bad she’s just eating off your dreams / Let me know when you’re ready to plea / Maybe you just need to send for me.”
On Valentine’s Day this year, Williams revealed that he was in a relationship. He shared a tribute to his longtime girlfriend, tattoo artist Katelyn Rose Larson. On top of a collage of photos — one of which included Larson and Storrie side-by-side — the actor wrote, “Happy Valentine’s Day. With me since my 2000 gold Mazda Protégé smoked and squealed and I had no job.” They made their red carpet debut at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
