Sydney Sweeney is answering critics of her nude Novig advertisement not with an apology, but with receipts.
The Euphoria star posted photos to her Instagram Stories showing Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki posing nude for magazines, according to a report by the Daily Mail. She also shared images of male athletes who have done the same, including Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce.
The move followed Sweeney’s provocative ad for Novig, a sports trading app, in which she appeared scantily clad in various athletic uniforms while repeating the word “sports.” The 29-year-old actress has not directly addressed the wave of negative comments on the Instagram post that featured the ad, but the Stories she shared afterward appear to be a pointed reply to those complaints.
What Critics Said
Commenters accused Sweeney of undercutting women in sports. “As a former athlete and a woman who has personally experienced sexualized comments, I’m genuinely disgusted and disappointed by this campaign,” one Instagram user wrote.
“We’ve spent years fighting to be seen and respected for our talent, strength and achievements, not reduced to our bodies…”
Others accused her of chasing controversy for profit. “It’s too bad she couldn’t do an ad like this with her clothes on,” one comment read. “It’s meant to be controversial just like Brooke Shields years ago. That’s what sells unfortunately.”
Another wrote: “This is sad at this point. Can’t sell or be a normal girl if she doesn’t use her body as a tool. Sexualizing sports like this is crazy.” One user simply asked, “How do we cancel this?”
Sweeney’s Defense
In a statement to Variety last week, Sweeney defended the campaign. “The campaign was about embracing a fun idea. The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge,” she said.
Novig, the sports prediction market and trading app behind the ad, requires users to be 21 or older and launched nationwide last month under a federally regulated framework.
