Sharon Stone Calls on Sydney Sweeney to 'Take Responsibility' for Provocative Sports Ad

Actress Sharon Stone has publicly stated that Sydney Sweeney, her co-star on HBO's "Euphoria," should "take responsibility" for her recent provocative advertisement for the sports prediction platform Novig. Stone made these remarks at Variety’s 2026 Power of Women: Los Angeles event, critiquing the ad that has drawn backlash from female athletes.

"I think that it’s up to her to take responsibility for her actions, not up to me to judge her for her actions," Stone told People. "It is up to me to be a cheerleader for the women who have made it through and become champions in women’s sports." Stone added, "We can’t denigrate women’s sports to get men’s attention so they can gamble."

The ad in question features Sweeney in various suggestive poses, largely nude and strategically covering herself with sports equipment, as she promotes the platform's betting features. The advertisement has ignited a debate about the portrayal of women in sports advertising.

Stone shared her personal experience, recalling how she threatened to sue high school administrators for the right to try out for the boys' golf team because her school lacked a girls' sports program. "I had something to prove," Stone said, noting she successfully made the boys' team.

Other female athletes have also expressed their disapproval of Sweeney's ad. Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus questioned the continued monetization and sexualization of women's sports, while British sprinter Amy Hunt emphasized the dedication and physical effort involved in female athleticism.

In response to the criticism, Sweeney shared social media posts highlighting nude images of prominent female athletes from ESPN magazine, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki. This move has been interpreted by some as a defense of her advertisement by drawing parallels to other instances of athletes using their image.

Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck suggested that some of the criticism directed at Sweeney might stem from jealousy, telling Fox News Digital that the backlash appears to be an "entire pile-on" fueled by resentment and a refusal to conform to certain political ideologies. He characterized the anger as disproportionate to the nature of the advertisement.