Sydney Sweeney faces huge backlash after going fully nude in new betting ad
Despite the hefty sums she's received from a career in acting and brand deals, it still seems as if Sydney Sweeney doesn't quite have enough to buy herself some new clothes.
The 29-year-old actress is never too far from controversy, whether it's donating her own bathwater to a soap brand or starring in an American Eagle jeans ad which sparked a debate over race and beauty standards after she spoke about her 'great jeans'.
Her character Cassie in Euphoria also became heavily sexualised after she starred as an X-rated content creator in the latest season alongside husband Nate (Jacob Elordi), with Sweeney more than happy to get her kit off.
And despite kit being a pretty essential part of sporting activity, her latest ad appearance for sports betting company Novig once again saw her bare pretty much everything.
Advert
While it might be easy to understand why a company might take this approach, as it certainly gets the people talking, it seems as if not everyone is happy to see Sweeney nearly naked again.
One social media user said: “I couldn’t believe when that ad came on the tv. I had my two children in the living room I had to yell at them to look away from the TV. I don’t understand WHY they would need to create such a [vulgar] ad."
Really, there was no need for Sweeney to be naked in this ad, as being naked when playing sports is the sort of thing that's only allowed on special cruises or with that one fella who decides to strip down to his boxers after a 20-minute Sunday league cameo.
But that didn't stop Novig from broadcasting the advert on people's TVs and even on the huge screens in New York's Times Square, where nearly everyone who walked past would have noticed the X-rated content, which probably caused a fair few folks to bump into each other.
Others took aim at Sweeney's Instagram page, with one writing: “22.4 million views but not even 1 million likes… why? Because this is not what we want for our sports ads. ESPECIALLY when kids like and follow sports as well.”
Marissa Womack, manager of game day promotions and programming for minor league baseball team the Harrisburg Senators, said: “This [criticism] isn’t about me being jealous or insecure of [Sweeney]. … it’s about the fact that this is already a male-dominated field where we are constantly having to prove why we belong. it’s about having passions and joy working in this industry and when the only representation is sexualization, you see less and less young women wanting to pursue this industry!”
In a statement about the ad campaign, Sweeney said: “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, humour and a playful edge.”
It's perhaps fair to say that the focus wasn't really on sports as even the most staunch basketball fans will have struggled to remember the names of their favourite players when Sweeney is sat naked on the rim of a net.
Jacob Fortinsky, co-founder and CEO of Novig said in a statement shared with Variety: “Sports fans deserve a prediction market built specifically for them.
“There are many places where people can engage with prediction markets across different categories. Our focus is sports, and by dedicating ourselves entirely to sports, we have built a better experience for fans. Sydney helped bring that message to life in a way that’s impossible to ignore.”
LADbible has contacted Sydney Sweeney's representatives and Novig for comment.
Topics: Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria, Celebrity News
James Moorhouse