Sydney Sweeney's nude Novig ad sparks debate on sexualizing women's sports

Actress Sydney Sweeney has sparked a debate about the sexualization of women's sports with a nude ad campaign for the sports prediction platform Novig. The controversy began after the campaign's release on September 9, 2026, featuring Sweeney nude with strategically placed sports equipment. In response to criticism from female athletes, Sweeney shared past nude photos of athletes on her Instagram Stories. Australian Olympian Tilly Kearns was among the first to publicly criticize the ad. "I absolutely f hate Sydney Sweeney's new sports ad," Kearns wrote on Instagram, calling it "so much worse than I imagined." She posted her own training and competition footage as an alternative. American gymnast Gracie Kramer also spoke out, stating the issue was "so much bigger than Sydney Sweeney" and about respecting women for their talent, not their bodies. Sweeney defended the campaign, describing it as a "very simple and playful idea" to "cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports." She shared Instagram Stories featuring past nude photos of athletes like Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and Sue Bird, as well as male athletes including Myles Garrett and Rob Gronkowski.