Sydney Sweeney Celebrates Birthday Amidst Backlash Over Risqué Betting Ad
The 'Euphoria' star marked her 29th birthday at Universal Studios Hollywood with beau Scooter Braun, days after facing criticism for a promotional video.
Sydney Sweeney was seen publicly for the first time this week since her naked advertisement for the betting company Novig sparked widespread backlash. The actress celebrated her 29th birthday at Universal Studios Hollywood alongside her music executive beau, Scooter Braun, 45.
The couple attended the theme park's Halloween Horror Nights event, holding hands as they navigated haunted mazes and rides. Sweeney was dressed casually in a sweater, jeans, sneakers, and a cap. Despite losing over 200,000 Instagram followers in the wake of the ad's release, Sweeney appeared to be in good spirits.
The promotional video for Novig, released last Wednesday, features Sweeney using sports equipment to cover herself. While the ad garnered 1.1 million likes on Instagram, it drew significant criticism, particularly from the world of women's sports. Athletes like British sprinter Amy Hunt and former Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus have spoken out against the advertisement, accusing Sweeney of sexualizing women's sports.
Hunt stated, "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. 21.4 [seconds, the winning time of Melissa Jefferson-Wooden], muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears. This is a beautiful evening," in contrast to the ad's imagery. Titmus expressed her frustration on social media, calling the ad "a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft" and questioning the continued monetization and sexualization of women's sports.
Sweeney, who holds an equity stake in Novig, defended the campaign, stating that the concept was about "embracing a fun idea" and aimed to "cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports." Novig founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky revealed that Sweeney herself pushed for the nude aspect of the campaign, citing discomfort with other platforms that allow betting on less serious topics. He noted Sweeney's ability to "captivate audiences" and bring attention to the company.
In response to the criticism, Sweeney shared a series of Instagram Stories highlighting other female athletes, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki, who have posed nude for magazine covers. She also pointed out that some male athletes have done the same.