Sydney Sweeney Criticized by Female Athletes as Nude Sports Trading App Ad Sparks Backlash
Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney has sparked yet another backlash for an advert after appearing nude in a series of promotional videos for sports trading app Novig.
In the ads, the Madame Web star appears mostly naked, covered only by footballs, basketballs, and other sports paraphernalia. “Novig is just sports,” Sweeney says. “So they wanted to show just sports.”
The visual gags, pointing to Novig’s mission statement of being a trading app focused solely on sports (eschewing unrelated topics found on competing prediction markets), have sparked no end of controversy — both about Sweeney’s lack of clothing and how its imagery reflects on female athletes.
Confirmed: Sydney Sweeney knows ball. pic.twitter.com/EXQ4PzVZsi— Novig (@Novig) September 9, 2026
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Confirmed: Sydney Sweeney knows ball. pic.twitter.com/EXQ4PzVZsi
Several high-profile women in sports have spoken out against Novig’s advertisements, with Australian professional boxer Skye Nicolson writing on Instagram, “Companies doing these ad campaigns should DO BETTER.”
“It’s the disrespect on athletes who dedicate their life to sport and to the women who have broken barriers for generations, to then have it made a mockery of by using a sex symbol using suggestive language and imagery in an ad about sport,” she added in a now-deleted Instagram story.
Gracie Kramer, a former UCLA gymnast who’s been one of the most outspoken female athletes regarding this situation, also chimed in. “I don’t know what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like,” she wrote on Instagram, along with footage from her competitions.
Tilly Kearns, a two-time Olympic water polo athlete, also posted a viral reel to Instagram, captioned, “I absolutely f**king hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.” The video showed several clips from her water polo meets, training sessions, and medalling ceremonies.
“Like, what are we doing … so much worse than I imagined, too. Here’s some real women sports content,” she wrote.
Speaking to the BBC, British sprinter Amy Hunt called out the campaign after running the 200-meter dash at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, telling the outlet’s camera crews, “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like.”
These are just a few of the many statements to have emerged from high-profile athletes in the aftermath of Sweeney’s Novig ads, and they haven’t gone without notice. Sweeney reportedly responded to the backlash on her Instagram stories, sharing a handful of covers from ESPN’s Body Issue, which notably feature images of nude athletes.
Speaking to Complex, Sweeney said called the ad campaign “a very simple and playful idea. She insisted "I grew up loving sports," adding: "I played sports growing up. I was on a soccer team, I was on a softball team, I was on a snow ski team. I learned how to slalom ski when I was little, and I did MMA. So sports have been a really big part of my life, and I love watching hockey and boxing, especially after playing Christie Martin. I have a really huge appreciation for every single fighter.”
The outrage has gotten so bad that Sweeney's social media presence is suffering; as noted by Variety, her account has lost over 200,000 followers amid the backlash. It's worth noting though that the Hollywood star still has 25.7 million followers on Instagram.
This isn’t the first time an advertisement featuring Sydney Sweeney has come under fire. You might remember the outrage that resulted from her 2025 campaign with American Eagle, which sparked debate over the play on words regarding “jeans” and “genes,” prompting accusations of racism against both Sweeney and the clothing brand, though American Eagle clarified that its ad was merely meant to highlight the fact that "great jeans look good on everyone."
Sweeney is clearly leaning into her status as a sex symbol, with her Novig ad campaign being the latest example of this. Back in May 2025, she turned heads for selling her own bathwater in a partnership with Dr. Squatch, a body wash and soap brand, which also sparked debate among fans and critics.
In terms of upcoming acting projects, Sweeney is down to appear in The Housemaid's Secret and the live-action Gundam movie. In July, it was reported that Sweeney had signed a deal to star in a new Sleepy Hollow movie. Meanwhile, Sega’s arcade racing game OutRun is set for a movie adaptation, with Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney attached.
Image credit: Novig.