Actress Sydney Sweeney Faces Backlash Over Nude Ad

Sydney Sweeney, known for her role in Euphoria, recently lost over 200,000 followers on Instagram after a provocative advertisement for Novig, a prediction market company, sparked significant criticism.

Many female sports fans and some athletes have condemned her for allegedly sexualizing women’s sports through the ad. Initially, her Instagram following surged by more than 50,000 after the ad launched, but this trend reversed quickly, leading to a loss of 204,848 followers by Monday, according to calculations from Daily Mail.

Despite the substantial number of lost followers, this represents just a small fraction of her overall Instagram audience, which exceeds 25 million. Sweeney has received harsh criticism for her involvement in the ad, yet she has remained unapologetic. In response to the backlash, she shared images of famous female athletes, such as Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams, and Ronda Rousey, who have posed nude for various brands, implying a double standard in the criticism she faces.

She also pointed out that several male athletes have posed nude, mentioning names like Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, and Jason Kelce. In an interview with Variety, she explained her reasoning behind participating in the ad campaign, stating it aimed to communicate a fun idea with a strong focus on sports, devoid of distractions like politics or celebrity culture.

However, not everyone agrees with her perspective. Some athletes argue that Sweeney’s portrayal does not accurately represent women in sports. British sprinter Amy Hunt expressed her disappointment, emphasizing that real female athletes exemplify hard work and dedication. Similarly, former Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus found the ad to be “infuriating,” criticizing it for undermining the values of teamwork and excellence that define women’s sports.

Novig, which launched last month under a federally regulated framework, operates as a sports prediction market and trading app.