Sydney Sweeney ad draws fire as female athletes decry S********** women in sport
Sydney Sweeney’s new ad just ignited a backlash, with female athletes calling out its provocative spin on women in sports.
The new Novig Sports campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney —a series of sultry shots with footballs, tennis rackets and basketball hoops—has touched off a wave of pushback from women across pro and elite sports, who say the imagery reduces their world to a pin-up backdrop. Within hours of the ads making the rounds, swimmers, sprinters, gymnasts, boxers and skiers were posting their own videos and statements emphasizing one thing: performance.
Who spoke up
Several high-profile athletes publicly criticized the campaign’s message and tone, arguing it undercuts how women in sport are seen and covered. Among the reactions:
- Ariarne Titmus — called the ad a “kick in the face” to women who dedicate their lives to sport.
- Cassidy Gray — labeled it “idiotic” and “senseless.”
- Skye Nicolson — said the campaign made a “mockery” of women in sports.
- Lucy Davis — urged a different way of portraying female athletes.
- Gracie Kramer — posted a training montage as her rebuttal.
- Amy Hunt — delivered a message after her 200m final in Budapest.
- Sophie Capewell MBE, Tilly Kearns, Lisa Neumann, Ellie Boatman — joined the chorus with workout clips and pointed posts about strength and dedication.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears,”
That line from Amy Hunt summed up much of the sentiment, echoed by training-room videos and on-field highlights that reframed the discourse around power, preparation and results, rather than poses.
Sweeney’s reply
Sweeney didn’t issue a statement; she responded on Instagram Stories by sharing images from ESPN’s famed Body Issue, spotlighting athletes like Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Rob Gronkowski and Jason Kelce—figures who have posed nude or nearly nude in shoots that center athleticism. The posts read as a counterpoint: if those images can celebrate elite bodies and achievement, why should her campaign be seen differently?
There’s also a business angle. Sweeney isn’t just the face of the ad—she’s described as a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig, giving her a financial stake in how the campaign lands. Her Instagram reposts were the latest move in a growing back-and-forth over where celebrating athletic bodies ends and marketing begins.