Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the center of another advertising controversy, but this time the backlash is coming from a very different corner of the entertainment world. The Euphoria star’s latest campaign for sports betting company Novig has drawn criticism from female athletes who believe the advertisement reduces women’s relationship with sport to their appearance. Sweeney appears in the campaign wearing only sports equipment positioned to cover her body, including footballs, tennis rackets and basketball hoops.
The campaign was released last week and quickly generated attention because of its provocative concept. What might have been another celebrity advertising conversation, however, became a wider discussion when Olympic and professional athletes began publicly criticizing the way the campaign presents women and sport. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, American gymnast Gracie Kramer and athletes from athletics and boxing were among those who voiced their frustration. The criticism has focused less on Sweeney personally and more on the idea that women’s sports should not be marketed primarily through sexualization.
Olympic Stars Push Back On The Campaign
One of the strongest reactions came from Ariarne Titmus, the Australian swimmer and four-time Olympic gold medalist. Titmus shared her frustration on Instagram, arguing that the campaign undermines women who have spent years developing their abilities and competing at the highest level. Her comments quickly became part of the wider response from female athletes who wanted attention placed on performance rather than physical appearance.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” Titmus wrote on Instagram.
“Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity,” she continued. “How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
American gymnast Gracie Kramer took a different approach to making her point. Instead of focusing solely on Sweeney’s campaign, she posted a highlight reel showing her own gymnastics achievements with a caption contrasting athletic performance with the advertisement. The post gained nearly a million likes and received support from Olympic silver medalist Kassidy Cook, who responded with applause emojis.
The response then expanded beyond gymnastics and swimming. Australian sprinter Bree Rizzo shared her own perspective on the issue, emphasizing that women in sport should be recognized for qualities such as strength, skill, resilience and dedication. British sprinter Amy Hunt also used a BBC interview after competing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship to make her position clear.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said. “Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears. This is a beautiful evening.”
Athletes Draw A Line Between Sport And Sexualization
Australian boxer Skye Nicolson also joined the criticism, making an important distinction between celebrating femininity and using sexuality as the central selling point of a sports campaign. Her argument was not that female athletes cannot look attractive or embrace their femininity. Instead, she objected to the idea of using sexual imagery to sell something associated with sport.
“There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to using sex to sell ‘sport’,” Nicolson wrote in an Instagram story.
“There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete.”
That distinction has become central to the criticism surrounding the Novig campaign. Female athletes are not arguing that women must be presented in a single way, but that advertising connected to women’s sports can acknowledge the physicality and individuality of athletes without making their bodies the primary attraction. The backlash therefore goes beyond one advertisement and touches on a much older conversation about how women are portrayed in sports media and advertising.
UK athlete Lucy Davis made the criticism even more direct in a post that was liked by Florence Pugh and others. “I don’t know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it’s 2026. Stop sexualizing women in sport,” Davis wrote.
Sweeney has not publicly issued a detailed response to the criticism. However, she appeared to address the discussion through her Instagram Stories by sharing images of nude sports figures, including Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe. The posts offered a glimpse into how she may have viewed the broader conversation, although they did not amount to a formal explanation of the Novig campaign.
Novig and Sweeney have been approached for comment about the backlash.
Another Advertising Controversy For Sweeney
The Novig campaign is not the first time Sweeney has found herself at the center of a heated advertising debate. In 2025, her American Eagle campaign built around the phrase “great genes/jeans” sparked criticism over language some viewers argued carried eugenics-related implications. The controversy became one of the most discussed celebrity advertising stories of that year, placing Sweeney at the centre of a debate that went far beyond fashion.
In that campaign, Sweeney said: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The new Novig campaign is different in subject and execution, but it has again demonstrated how quickly a celebrity advertisement can become part of a larger cultural argument. Sweeney has become one of the most recognizable young stars in Hollywood, and that visibility means campaigns featuring her can attract attention well beyond the product being promoted.
There is also a broader commercial question underneath the controversy. Sports betting companies have increasingly used entertainment personalities and attention-grabbing advertising to make their brands stand out in a crowded market. A provocative campaign can generate enormous visibility, but the same strategy can also create a backlash when audiences believe the creative concept crosses a line.
For female athletes, the concern is particularly personal because women’s sports have spent years fighting for greater visibility, investment and respect. The argument coming from Titmus, Kramer, Hunt, Nicolson and others is that increased attention should not come at the cost of reducing athletes to their bodies.
That is ultimately why the Sweeney campaign has become bigger than one celebrity advertisement. The athletes criticizing it are asking a straightforward question about what people should see when they think about women and sport: the body, or everything that body is capable of achieving?
FAQs
Why are female athletes criticizing Sydney Sweeney’s ad?
Female athletes have criticized Sweeney’s Novig campaign because they believe it sexualizes women and presents sport primarily through the female body rather than athletic skill, dedication and achievement.
What did Ariarne Titmus say about Sydney Sweeney’s ad?
Ariarne Titmus called the campaign deeply frustrating and argued that sexualizing women’s sport undermines women who dedicate their lives to athletic excellence. Her full statement is quoted above.
What did Gracie Kramer post about Sydney Sweeney?
American gymnast Gracie Kramer shared a highlight reel of her gymnastics career with the message, “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.” Her post received nearly a million likes.
Did Sydney Sweeney respond to the backlash?
Sweeney appeared to respond through Instagram Stories by sharing images of nude sports figures, including Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe. She has not provided a detailed public explanation of the Novig campaign in the material provided.
What is the Sydney Sweeney Novig advertisement?
The campaign is an advertisement for sports betting company Novig in which Sweeney appears with sports equipment positioned to cover her body. Its provocative presentation has sparked criticism from several female athletes.
Has Sydney Sweeney faced advertising backlash before?
Yes. Sweeney’s 2025 American Eagle “great genes/jeans” campaign generated controversy over its wording and references to genetics. The latest Novig campaign has sparked a separate debate about sexualization and women in sport.
