American actor Sydney Sweeney has been facing immense backlash for her appearance in a commercial for a U.S. betting platform, where she is featured with minimal to no clothing alongside various pieces of sports equipment. Female athletes have strongly criticized the advertisement’s portrayal of women, with many publicly speaking out against it.
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Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus reacted by calling the ad a “kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft.” Water polo silver medalist Tilly Kearns stated she “absolutely f***ing hates Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.” However, Sweeney is standing by her choice of depiction as the actress brought NFL stars Myles Garrett and Rob Gronkowski into the conversation by sharing photos from their past sports-themed photoshoots.
Sweeney shared a throwback photo of Garrett from ESPN The Magazine’s famous “Body Issue” on Sunday. She also posted a photo of Gronkowski, along with several other athletes who have previously appeared in similar projects. The photos were shared to her Instagram Story, which has since expired.
Although Sweeney did not directly address the ongoing criticism, the timing and connection between the commercial and the photos she shared suggest a deliberate response.
The move came days after Novig launched its “Just Sports” campaign featuring Sweeney. The sports prediction market’s advertisement quickly became controversial, with Sweeney appearing n*** or nearly n*** while using sports equipment to cover her body in scenes involving football, basketball, hockey, tennis, baseball, and pool.
The actress opens the commercial by asking, “Think you know sports? Prove it.” She later jokes, “You can’t trade this, I just look good here.”
Amid the controversy, Garrett had his moment back in 2019. Garrett was featured in ESPN The Magazine’s 11th and final “Body Issue,” released in 2019 while he was still a member of the Cleveland Browns.
The 6-foot-4 defensive lineman posed n*** in outdoor settings for the magazine and discussed the physical appearance he wanted to achieve. Garrett explained that classic bodybuilders such as Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger had influenced him.
“I used to look at classic bodybuilders like Lou Ferrigno or Arnold,” Garrett said at the time. “I know it’s probably not obtainable for me, and it’s probably not going to be functional on the field.”
“I’m always striving for more, and I always want to look like a Grecian God,” he said. “I want to be at my best physical appearance just to know that I’m using all my God-given abilities.”
That history makes Garrett an especially notable choice for Sweeney’s response. She was criticized for using her body in a sports advertisement, and her answer appeared to highlight athletes who had also been photographed emphasizing their physiques.
Gronkowski was another former NFL star included in Sweeney’s Instagram Stories. The former New England Patriots tight end has also been photographed for ESPN’s Body Issue, giving Sweeney another recognizable football example to point toward.
She did not stop with the NFL. Sweeney also shared photos of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Caroline Wozniacki and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Several female athletes have questioned the decision to market a sports-focused product through Sweeney’s nearly n*** appearance. American gymnast Gracie Kramer posted a video criticizing the campaign, while four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus said she felt “infuriated” watching it.
British sprinter Amy Hunt also addressed the controversy after competing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said. “Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears.”
Sweeney has not directly responded to those comments. Instead, her Instagram activity has done the talking.
On Sunday, she also shared another glimpse of the Novig commercial and captioned the post, “It’s game day.”
For now, the actress has not offered a direct defense of the Novig advertisement. By bringing Garrett, Gronkowski, and other prominent athletes into the discussion, however, Sweeney has seemingly chosen to let their past photoshoots make the point for her.