Simu Liu took to social media Tuesday night to defend Hudson Williams after a high-school photo resurfaced online showing a swastika drawn on his forehead. The Marvel star urged people to leave Williams alone, saying he’s experienced trauma from internet hate
Simu Liu didn’t wait for the noise to settle—Tuesday night, he went straight to social media to tell people to stop piling on Hudson Williams.
The controversy started when a picture of Williams, taken during his high school years, resurfaced online. In the image, a swastika is drawn on his forehead, and the post quickly turned into a wider backlash.
Liu addressed the situation directly. posting that he has “this very specific trauma attached to people on the internet fabricating things about me and twisting things into a massive hate campaign when I first broke out.” He said he recognizes the patterns—especially with people of color—and sees them playing out again.
He also pushed a clear warning for anyone consuming or sharing the story: “The internet is insane. Bad actors are everywhere. If you’re here, be careful. Be smart. 🤍.”
Williams has not publicly addressed the controversy. But sources close to the actor told TMZ that Williams had no idea the hate symbol was drawn on him when the photo was taken.
Those close to Williams said the image came from a “campout” tradition in his Canadian hometown. During the event. teens would party and cover each other’s clothing and skin with Sharpie drawings. the implication being that the swastika was part of intoxicated teens trying to be funny. They also said Williams understands there’s nothing comical about it now.
A friend of Williams added that the markings do not—and have never—reflected Williams’s beliefs, values, or character.
The sequence is stark: a childhood photo resurfaces, meaning gets assigned in the most hostile way online, and then Liu steps in with a personal account of how those narratives can snowball into something bigger than the original image.
Simu Liu Hudson Williams swastika photo Marvel star social media backlash internet hate campaign Sharpie campout tradition