Sydney Sweeney faced brutal online criticism after her latest bold move. The Euphoria star bared it all in the latest sports trading ad campaign and left viewers stunned. While some found her sports-themed shoot fascinating, others slammed her, claiming she sold her “soul” for a brand deal.
The 28-year-old actress left very little to the imagination while promoting Novig, a sports trading brand. She appeared alongside props representing different sports, using footballs to cover herself in the clip. “Think you know sports? Prove it,” she said in the ad while posing with absolutely no clothes.
She further said, “Novig is just sports.” At one point, she sat on a basketball hoop using her blonde locks as cover. She continued to showcase various sports, including tennis, hockey, golf, soccer, pool, and more.
Sweeney’s fans were elated to see her in her element in a new ad. An Instagram user wrote, “This is the greatest ad in sports and sports betting history,” while another said, “She knows exactly who her fans are!” Some other fans joked that they became sports fans after watching her play them.
However, not everyone had a high opinion of Sweeney after the ad. A critic penned, “Selling your soul to the gambling companies is very on brand, Sydney.” “I mean yes, she has a rocking body, but does she ever get tired of her body being advertised like this?” Another Instagram user asked. A third one noted that they unfollowed the Christy actress after seeing her bare it all in the ad.
One of the critics compared her with her Euphoria co-star Zendaya, writing, “All Ima say is Zendaya ain’t never had to do this to get a bag.” Another critic called out Sweeney and claimed that her career is completely focused on the male gaze. Some also wondered whether she does anything else other than take off her clothes to get work.
The backlash is no news for Sweeney, who often finds herself in the center of criticism. It does not mean that she would stop playing bold. The actress even sold her bathwater soaps last year. She advertised the soap with a clip of her in a bathtub.
Her campaign did not sit well with social media users who immediately called out the product as unhygienic. An Instagram user wrote, “Let the asteroid hit us now,” while another user labeled it “utterly disgusting!” As many fans also sang praises for Sweeney, one called it a “genius marketing tactic.”
According to Variety, the actress hit back at trolls who criticized her business move. She noted that mainly females criticized the soap and slammed her. “It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting.”
She further pointed out that it was females who “loved the idea of Jacob Elordi’s bathwater.” She referenced a 2024 campaign that sold Elordi’s bathwater candles.
The soap reportedly sold out within seconds of its launch. The company produced 5,000 bars that retailed for $8. Despite the massive backlash across the internet, the company’s website crashed due to the increased demand. Eventually, many consumers got the soap from secondary platforms at a higher price.
