Actress Sydney Sweeney lost more than 200,000 Instagram followers after her nude ad for prediction market company Novig drew heavy criticism.
The Euphoria star has found herself under fire from many female sports enthusiasts and even some athletes for sexualizing women’s sports with her provocative ad.
According to the Daily Mail, Sweeney’s Instagram account started on the upward swing right after the ad debuted last week, gaining more than 50,000 followers. But as the days passed, that number reversed sharply.
By Monday, she had lost 204, 848 followers, the paper calculated.
However, while the loss might seem large, it is only a tiny slice of her more than 25 million followers.
Sweeney has been blasted for the nude ad for the sports betting company, but so far, she is unapologetic. Indeed, she ridiculed the attacks that she is sexualizing sports by appearing nude by going onto her social media and showing ads by famous female athletes in which they, too, posed nude. This included U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and more.
Sweeney additionally noted that several men have also taken off their clothes for sports, including Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce.
She also told Variety that “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.”
Sweeney reportedly said she was drawn to the ad campaign because Novig only lets users bet on sports and doesn’t branch out into politics, celebrities, or current events.
But some athletes have attacked the ad and insist Sydney Sweeney is not what female sports look like.
As the Daily Mail notes, British sprinter Amy Hunt bashed Sweeney after finishing a distant fourth in her recent 200m race. “It was incredible to be part of such an incredible race. Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. 21.4, muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears. This is a beautiful evening,” she said.
Former Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus added that the ad is “infuriating” to her.
“Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity,” she said. “How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman’s body and sexualizing women’s sport is still a thing?”
Novig, the sports prediction market and trading app, launched nationwide last month under a federally regulated framework.
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