Known for her roles as Cassie in Euphoria and Millie in The Housemaid, among many others, Sydney Sweeney has become a major Hollywood star.
However, fame often brings criticism. Sweeney now faces another wave of backlash over her latest advertising campaign.
The American actress and model has a divided public image. Many fans support her, while others regularly criticize her choices.
Some critics, particularly women, argue that Sweeney sexualizes herself too much. They also question whether her approach conflicts with feminist values.
Last year, Sweeney appeared in an American Eagle campaign for denim jeans. The advertisement sparked widespread debate on social media.
Now, her latest project has created another controversy. Sweeney appears in a Novig ad promoting the betting platform. She poses with different sports equipment while wearing little or no clothing.
The campaign has triggered another major backlash online. Reports also claim that Sweeney lost around 200,000 Instagram followers within 48 hours.
Women react all over the internet
The Sydney Sweeney Novig ad has generated strong reactions across social media. Some people believe the campaign is simply an advertisement and does not deserve such intense criticism.
Others point out that Novig promotes betting rather than sport itself. They also argue that Sweeney is an actress, not a professional athlete, so she should not represent female athletes.
However, many critics continue to object to the campaign.
Critics say the Novig ad relies too heavily on sexualized imagery. They question why the campaign needed to focus so strongly on Sweeney’s body.
Female athletes have also joined the discussion. Social media users have shared videos of women competing, performing difficult stunts, winning medals and achieving sporting success.
These posts highlight the years of work that female athletes put into their careers. Critics argue that the Novig campaign shifts attention away from athletic ability and back toward women’s bodies.
Australian surfer Felicity Palmateer also criticized the campaign. In an interview, she described the advertisement as disappointing and argued that it could push women’s sports backwards.
Palmateer also said the campaign could have a damaging effect on young women who want to participate in sport. She raised concerns about the amount of sexualized content associated with women in sport.
Sweeney defends herself against ongoing backlash
Sweeney has responded to the criticism through her social media activity.
The actress shared images from the Novig campaign alongside ESPN photoshoots featuring athletes who have posed nude or in revealing images. Her examples included Serena Williams, Jason Kelce and Caroline Wozniacki.
Sweeney appeared to use the comparison to challenge criticism of her own campaign. The posts highlighted how other well-known sports figures have also appeared in similar photoshoots.
So far, Sweeney has not released a separate written or verbal statement addressing the wider controversy.
Campaign a huge win for Novig
The controversy has also delivered significant attention to Novig.
The betting platform has received far more visibility since the Sydney Sweeney Novig ad became a topic of discussion online. According to figures cited by the company, social media mentions increased ninefold during the controversy.
Novig also reported that about half of the posts tagging the company were neutral. Around 32.8% were positive, while approximately 17.5% were negative.
Those figures suggest that the campaign generated substantial engagement for the brand, despite the criticism surrounding the advertisement.
The controversy has therefore created a major conversation around Sweeney, women’s sports, advertising and sexualized celebrity campaigns. At the same time, it has given Novig considerable exposure across social media.
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