Sydney Sweeney loses 200,000 followers over Novig campaign By Carolina Costa
2 min read
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Actress Sydney Sweeney lost 200,000 Instagram followers by September 14, 2026, following the release of a controversial commercial for sports predictions and betting application Novig. The promotional video featured the 29-year-old Euphoria star appearing without clothes while covered only by sports equipment.
Competitive athletes condemned Novig immediately.
Athletes voice outrage over promotional commercial
Australian Olympic champion swimmer Ariarne Titmus publicly criticized the production after the promotional piece appeared on digital channels, arguing that commercializing female bodies undermines decades of athletic progress achieved by competitors dedicated to teamwork, friendship, and excellence across international sporting competitions. “I cannot even express how furious I was when I saw this,” Titmus stated regarding the campaign. Titmus also questioned why female athletics continues to face commercial sexualization instead of being valued for discipline and competitive achievement.
Water polo Olympic medalist Tilly Kearns posted direct criticism on social media, stating that she hated the commercial produced by Novig. World boxing champion Skye Nicolson classified the promotional effort as a mockery of women in sports.
Engagement numbers split after online launch
The promotional upload registered 1.1 million likes on Sweeney’s account before audience metrics turned negative over three consecutive days.
Digital monitoring recorded a net departure of 200,000 accounts from the profile of the actress, who also starred in The Housemaid. The rapid drop occurred across the 72 hours following the debut of the Novig marketing drive. Despite the initial volume of likes, criticism from sports figures dominated the commentary section.
Previous controversy involved American Eagle campaign
Sweeney faced earlier public scrutiny during a commercial venture with clothing manufacturer American Eagle. That denim promotion relied on a phonetic pun between the words jeans and genes, prompting accusations of sexism and racism before receiving praise from Donald Trump.
Silent response features magazine covers
Sweeney did not release any written or spoken defense regarding the Novig contract.
The actress instead shared published magazine covers depicting prominent professional athletes who had previously posed for sports and fashion publications. The images highlighted several high-profile figures across tennis, basketball, soccer, football, and mixed martial arts:
- Caroline Wozniak
- Sue Bird
- Megan Rapinoe
- Rob Gronkowski
- Ronda Rousey
- Serena Williams
- Myles Garrett
Football player Myles Garrett and tennis champion Serena Williams were among the final cover subjects shared without commentary on the profile.
