Gus Kenworthy can relate a lot to Heated Rivalry! Fans of the popular gay hockey romance show know that Shane Hollander briefly pauses his secret relationship with his on-the-ice rival but off-the-ice lover, Ilya Rozanov, and dates actress Rose Landry. And speaking to The New Yorker on Sunday, the Olympian shared that "the parallels" in Heated Rivalry and his own life are "kind of insane" - right down to the Rose plotline! Related: François Arnaud SNAPS When Asked About Connor Storrie Romance Rumors! Perezcious readers may recall that Gus sparked romance rumors with Miley Cyrus back in 2014, one year before he came out as gay. When the skier won the silver medal at the Sochi Games, it happened to be the day before Valentine's Day, so all the reporters kept asking him who his "dream date" and "celeb crush" were. Gus, who was in a "secret relationship" at the time, recalled he "panicked and said Miley Cyrus." Miley then tweeted at him and followed him, and they started flirting over text: "I actually love her. But then there was some flirty texting, and I remember thinking, What am I doing? I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to keep waking up and lying." Looking back, he feels Miley was his Rose. Gus continued: "I also had a secret relationship, with these clandestine meetings and hookups. And Miley Cyrus was my own Rose, this famous person that I was suddenly linked to, and as much as I kind of wanted it - because that's the person you would want to be with if you're straight, someone successful and beautiful and talented - it's not the same as when you're with a guy." Gus also "really related" to the character Scott Hunter the most: "He wanted to be out, but really, just truly felt like he couldn't be, because of his circumstances. That was me for so many years. I had the same yearning - to be in love, to be public, and to not have to hide." Now, Gus is out and proud! He came out as gay in a cover story for ESPN the Magazine in 2015. And just like Rose, Miley fully supported him. She praised her "courageous" friend on Instagram afterward, saying: "Never have I ever been prouder to call @guskenworthy my friend! (and he's a bad ass f**king Olympic athlete). You have won so much more than any medal .... You have won FREEDOM! I looooove looooove looooove you!" Yes, Miley! After watching Heated Rivalry, Gus said he felt "so moved" in a way he never expected: "I actually wrote a message to the show's creator because I was so moved, and didn't expect to be. And I don't think I've ever seen myself reflected onscreen like that, in such a substantial way." We cannot stress it enough! This is one of the many reasons why representation in media matters so much! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below! [Image via FayesVision/Rob Rich/WENN & YouTube/Crave] The post Olympian Gus Kenworthy Had His Own <i>Heated Rivalry</i>-Style Romance With Miley Cyrus Before Coming Out As Gay! appeared first on Perez Hilton.