Sydney Sweeney is continuing to unveil partially nude ad campaigns with sports betting site Novig amid ongoing controversy.
“There are grown men making spreadsheets to bet on what color underwear I’m wearing,” Sweeney, 29, said in a Sunday, October 11, Instagram video. “I mean, I’m flattered.”
In the clip, Sweeney walked around a room as she wore white Novig underwear and appeared topless while styling her hair down in loose waves.
“There’s insider trading on dictators dying and armies of bots manipulating it all. There’s someone sitting in a bathroom stall betting their 401k on a war,” she said. “And then, there are people who just trade on sports.”
The video concluded with Sweeney holding up two footballs pressed against her bare chest as she added, “Novig is just sports.”
She captioned the video, “No BS. Just sports @novig #novigpartner.”
Sweeney, a new strategy partner and equity holder for Novig, debuted her ad campaign with the company in September. At the time, Sweeney posed naked while standing in front of various sports equipment including football, hockey and tennis.
Social media users were quick to weigh in with their thoughts, with some criticizing the ad for “setting women back 100 years.” Sweeney, for her part, shared in a statement that the campaign was focused on “embracing a fun idea.”
The backlash to Sydney Sweeney’s controversial sports betting ad hasn’t slowed down, as female Olympic athletes joined the fray with a barrage of social media reactions. “I wasn’t going to share this as I didn’t want to give this any more attention. But, I can’t keep my mouth shut,” Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus wrote […]
“The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports,” she said in a statement. “The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge.”
Amid the backlash, Sweeney’s former Euphoria costar Sharon Stone urged her to “take responsibility.”
“I think that it’s up to her to take responsibility for her actions, not up to me to judge her for her actions,” Stone, 68, told People in September. “It is up to me to be a cheerleader for the women who have made it through and become champions in women’s sports.”
Stone added at the time, “We can’t denigrate women’s sports to get men’s attention so they can gamble.”
Through the years, Sweeney has been open about embracing her figure despite body-shaming critics.
“I see it, and I just can’t allow myself to have a reaction,” Sweeney told Variety in March 2024. “I don’t know how to explain it; I’m still trying to figure it out myself. People feel connected and free to be able to speak about me in whatever way they want because they believe that I’ve signed my life away. It’s this weird relationship that people have with me that I have no control or say over.”
