Former First Lady Jill Biden lost in a massive bid to score a walk-on role in the HBO Max gay hockey drama ‘Heated Rivalry’ during a gala for liberal elites in New York City this week.
Biden bid a staggering $35,000 at the NYC LGBT Community Center’s annual Center Dinner on Thursday for a package that included a cameo in the show’s second season and a dinner with its cast.
She was quickly outbid. The package sold twice to two separate bidders at $125,000 each.
Biden took her loss in stride on social media.
“Guess I won’t be heading to the cottage after all — but it was worth a shot! What a wonderful evening supporting @LGBTCenterNYC,” she wrote on X, a reference to a storyline from the show.
Heated Rivalry is a Canadian sports drama based on Rachel Reid’s romance hockey book series Game Changers. The show centers on two rival homosexual male professional hockey players — Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov — and their sexual trysts. It has drawn widespread attention for its graphic sexual content.
Show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady were honored at the gala with the Cultural Impact Award. Brady was not in attendance. Reid presented the award to Tierney on his behalf.
“Tierney and Brady have elevated and centered queer characters as fully realized leads whose desires, conflicts and tenderness are treated with dignity,” NYC LGBT Community Center CEO Dr. Carla Smith said. “By championing our voices, they have brought queer joy and storytelling to the mainstream media.”
Other items up for bid at the auction included a jersey signed by cast members Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, and Tierney, as well as a signed copy of Reid’s book.
Biden was welcomed with a standing ovation at the start of the evening, recognized for the Biden administration’s support during its four years in the White House.
Season 2 of Heated Rivalry is scheduled to premiere in April 2027 on HBO Max.