‘MAGA Barbie’ Sydney Sweeney caught nude for 8 seconds in Novig ad, now faces controversy over sexualization of women’s sports

Controversy over blatant sexualization crosses the line, drawing fierce backlash from the sports world

Hollywood actress ‘Sydney Sweeney,’ dubbed ‘MAGA Barbie’ over controversy surrounding her political leanings, is at the center of criticism that she has now blatantly sexualized women’s sports. According to major news outlets including The Associated Press and The New York Times on the 15th, local time, her provocative performance in a recently released advertisement for sports betting platform ‘Novig’ has come under fire.

Sweeney appears in her underwear for just ‘8 seconds’ in the one-minute advertisement. But the ad’s provocative scenes — including her covering her breasts with a rugby ball and climbing onto a basketball hoop — were enough to spark outrage among the public and across the sports world.

Women athletes who actually sweat through their competitions responded with immediate and fierce backlash. Amy Hunt, a member of Britain’s national track and field team, delivered a pointed rebuke, saying, "The true value of women in sports lies in their muscles and the sweat and hard work they put in." Ariarne Titmus, the Australian swimming gold medalist, harshly criticized the ad as "an obvious insult to women who have devoted their lives to sports." American gymnast Gracie Kramer also joined the protest by sharing videos of athletes training with dedication and authenticity.

But rather than show remorse, ‘Sydney Sweeney’ hit back directly by posting old semi-nude photo shoots of prominent female sports stars including Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe on her social media accounts. Disappointed by what they saw as an unapologetic response, members of the public turned away, and her Instagram following plunged by ‘200,000’ in just one week.

Calculated buzz marketing pays off with huge gains despite controversy

Ironically, the controversy has given latecomer betting site ‘Novig’ unprecedented global exposure. The advertisement quickly surpassed ‘40 million views,’ triggering a viral surge. The revelation that Sweeney is more than a simple advertising model — she is a ‘strategic partner’ and ‘shareholder’ in the platform — has fueled speculation that the controversy may have been a carefully calculated buzz-marketing campaign.

This is not the first time she has made such a provocative move. In July last year, an advertisement for American clothing brand American Eagle sparked controversy over supremacist messaging and racism with the line, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans/genes." The marketing made a pointed connection between her blonde hair and blue eyes and the word “genes.”

Then, in January this year, she sparked a trespassing controversy by releasing a video showing herself climbing without permission onto the Hollywood sign structure, a landmark on Mount Lee in Los Angeles, to hang a bra there as part of a promotion for her underwear brand.

Amid public criticism and moral controversy, ‘Sydney Sweeney’ has steadily maximized her commercial interests through a shrewd business strategy. As she faces criticism for undermining the true spirit of sports while enjoying the commercial success of 40 million views, the world is watching closely to see what she does next.