Sydney Sweeney defends provocative ad choice, the internet is still not impressed
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Sydney Sweeney
Amid backlash, actress Sydney Sweeney has defended her latest ad for a sports trading app. The actress recently faced criticism for posing nude in the advertisement, using sports equipment to strategically cover herself.
Days after Sydney Sweeney received severe backlash for featuring nude in an advertisement for a sports trading app, the actress has addressed the controversy and defended herself. Sweeney faced criticism after she featured in an advertisement completely naked, posing with various sports equipment that was strategically used to cover her modesty.
In the ad, Sweeney can be heard telling viewers that they can bet on "just sports" while using equipment or posing topless, following it up by using the word "sports" nine times. She then appears topless on a pool table and says, “You can’t trade this, I just look good here.”
Sydney Sweeney defends ad
Amid widespread criticism for the ad, Sydney defended it on her Instagram stories. On Monday, the Euphoria star shared a nude image of herself from the ad alongside several ESPN photoshoots of famous athletes over the years posing without clothes. It included pictures of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jason Kelce.
The Internet is not impressed
The actress’s response on the backlash did not get too much support on the internet. A Reddit user posted Sydney's defence on the platform and several users lashed out on the actor. “They are professional athletes. They are not promoting gambling like Sydney,” wrote one.
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“She is tone deaf to criticism. It is not that you are naked too- it is WHY,” pointed out another.
A comment read, “One can absolutely see the difference in the intent behind the professional athletes showing their bodies and the ad campaign SS did… one looks like art and the other looks cheap. People only need an ounce of media literacy to understand the difference.”
“These athletes are actually showcasing the sport through their physical fitness. It's sexy yeah but it's also a celebration of what they do. Sydney's ad is a cosplay that promotes her own brand of objectification along with gambling, and honestly makes a mockery of the field with how she just says ‘sports’ over and over like we are all a bunch of braindead boys who love football and boobs,” said a second user.
“What is this comparison? She is not an athlete. Their media campaigns were a direct protest against those comments and gender roles/stereotypes. SS has no concept of whatever subversion is,” said another.
Female athletes criticise Sydney Sweeney
The Hollywood actress faced widespread backlash for sexualizing women in sports and has faced pushback from multiple female athletes.
"I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this," Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer from Australia, wrote on Instagram. “Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but to every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity …
"How do we live in a world where monetising a woman's body and sexualising women's sport is still a thing?"
American gymnast Gracie Kramer's Instagram post line, "this is what a woman in sport looks like," started a trend, with multiple athletes using the same template.
Past controversy involving Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney has faced similar backlash in the past for featuring in an advertisement for the denim wear brand American Eagle in August 2025. The ad, an attempt to revamp American Eagle, snowballed into criticism for Sweeney as it cheekily suggested that the blue-eyed, blonde-haired actress has ‘good jeans’. The pun didn’t sit well with many, as they drew parallels to genes rather than jeans.
