Sydney Sweeney ‘In Tears’ as Controversial Sports Ad Backlash Takes an Emotional Toll
Sydney Sweeney recently made headlines for her latest ad campaign. The Euphoria star was widely scrutinized by viewers, especially women in sports. Following the backlash, Sweeney is reportedly putting on a brave face while breaking down in tears behind the scenes.
The 29-year-old caught attention when she spoke about ‘sports’ in her new ad campaign for Novig. Sweeney took a bold step to keep her clothes off throughout the video. She instead hid her modesty with different sports equipment, including football, soccer, basketball, and more.
Sweeney’s ad campaign for the sports trading platform did not sit well with many. An Instagram user penned, “As a woman, I find it genuinely disappointing that in 2026, a woman’s body is still being used as one of the easiest tools to sell a product.” Another critic commented, “How does this represent sports? There is no way that any woman who plays ANY sport will be represented by this!” A third one wrote, “Report it, guys. We can’t tolerate this. It is disrespectful to women in sports.”
“We women work so hard to have our talent recognized in sports rather than our bodies. This isn’t sport,” another critic noted. A few Olympic gold medalists also came forward to slam Sweeney for her allegedly provocative ad.
According to the National Enquirer, a source close to Sweeney said that she had been emotionally affected by the backlash. The insider said, “Behind closed doors there have been plenty of tears.” They added that the actress cannot understand “why she is always a target.”
The insider argued, “Her ad was not putting women down.” They added, “She wasn’t in any way intending that, and she doesn’t understand how the situation spiraled so much.” Sweeney also ended up losing several hundred thousand followers following the backlash. “She’s lost tens of thousands of social media followers over this; it’s a disaster from a business perspective,” the source added.
Amid the controversy, the source claimed that Sweeney was putting on a “brave face.” She is currently under a lot of pressure, and the criticism is the “last thing she needs.” The insider continued to argue that Sweeney was not the first actress to flaunt her body to sell something.
“Many other women in Hollywood, including Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez, flaunt their figures for a paycheck,” the source said. The insider added that the backlash was “unfair” to Sydney as, unlike the other popular women, she was on the “receiving end of so much hatred.”
According to Today, Sweeney addressed the massive backlash, claiming the campaign was just a “fun idea.” She said, “The campaign was about embracing a fun idea.” “The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports,” she added. Sweeney then concluded, “The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge.”
The company’s co-founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky also addressed the backlash. He noted that the company’s focus was to bring all attention to sports. “Sydney helped bring that message to life in a way that’s impossible to ignore,” he added.
Fortinsky further noted, “We did a lot of market research, but the truth is, at some point, you just have to make a bet on how you’re going to introduce your brand.”
