Looks like Sydney Sweeney has some folks upset again

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“I don’t know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it’s 2026,” wrote British athlete Lucy Davis. “Stop sexualizing women in sport.”

Meanwhile, Ariarne Titmus, a former Australian swimming champion and four-time Olympic gold medal winner, wrote: “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this.”

Titmus added: “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. How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”

The backlash prompted many female athletes to post their own footage alongside messages about what sports actually looks like.

Among them was American gymnast Gracie Kramer, who posted an highlight reel, now with more than a million likes, with the caption: “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”

Meanwhile, water polo Olympic silver medallist Tilly Kearns succinctly wrote: “I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.”

In a statement on the Novig website, Sweeney said: “The campaign was about embracing a fun idea. The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge.”

The star also appeared to respond to the backlash by posting to her Instagram story a series of covers from the ESPN Body Issue, which featured naked athletes.

The Novig commercial comes just over a year following American Eagle’s hugely controversial “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” campaign,” which prompted a wave of criticism for appearing to use the language of eugenics. In a now-deleted video, Sweeney said: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”

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