Sydney Sweeney faces backlash for sexualising women's sport in betting ad

Sydney Sweeney faces backlash for a Novig sports betting ad depicting her in minimal clothing while pretending to play sports, drawing condemnation from Olympic athletes for sexualising women's sport. Retired swimmer Ariarne Titmus called the marketing "a kick in the face" to female athletes. Athletes responded by highlighting women's sporting excellence, with swimmers, sprinters, and boxers posting training footage and achievements. World champion boxer Skye Nicolson distinguished between embracing femininity and using sex to sell sport, while critics noted Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig. The controversy mirrors backlash from Sweeney's 2025 American Eagle jeans campaign, which was criticised for eugenics-adjacent language. Sweeney later said her silence on that controversy had "widened the divide," expressing opposition to hate and divisiveness.