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Sydney Sweeney’s Nude Novig Ad Sparks Backlash, Costs Her 200,000-Plus Instagram Followers

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Celebrity-fronted ad campaigns tend to generate one of two outcomes: a wave of buzz that boosts everyone involved, or a full-blown controversy that spirals well beyond the brand’s control. Sydney Sweeney has found herself squarely in the latter category this week, and the fallout has been playing out in real time across social media.

The actress has built a reputation over the past few years for partnerships that generate outsized attention, from skincare lines to denim campaigns that dominate entertainment headlines. Her latest venture, however, has proven far more divisive than any of those previous collaborations.

Sweeney has now lost more than 200,000 Instagram followers following backlash over a nude advertisement for the sports-prediction platform Novig, according to social media analytics firm Social Blade. The 60-second ad, posted to her Instagram last Wednesday, shows the actress appearing nude with her body covered only by pieces of sports equipment, including footballs, a basketball, a tennis racket, and a hockey net.

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The numbers behind the backlash tell their own story. In the three days following the ad’s release on September 9, Sweeney actually gained roughly 50,000 new followers. That trend reversed sharply over the following weekend, when she lost 136,848 followers in a single day, followed by another 68,000 the next day.

Even with that steep decline, the overall dip represents less than 1 percent of Sweeney’s more than 25 million followers, a relatively small dent for an account of her size. Still, the speed and scale of the unfollow wave signaled just how strongly some corners of the internet reacted to the campaign.

Much of the criticism has come from female athletes, who argue the ad sexualizes women in sports rather than celebrating them. Four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ariarne Titmus was among the most vocal critics, writing in a social media post shared by Variety that she felt infuriated watching the ad.

Facing mounting criticism, Sweeney addressed the controversy directly, saying in a statement that the campaign was meant to embrace a fun, lighthearted idea, with the goal simply being to strip away distractions and put the focus entirely on sports. She added that the concept was meant to convey confidence, humor, and a playful tone.

As the backlash continued to grow, Sweeney also pushed back by sharing historic nude covers from ESPN’s The Body Issue, which has previously featured athletes like Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe posing nude to celebrate their physiques. Critics, however, have drawn a distinction between those athlete-led features and a commercial campaign built around selling a sports-betting product.

It’s also worth noting that Sweeney isn’t simply a paid spokesperson for the brand. She reportedly holds equity in Novig and serves as a strategic partner for the company, adding another layer to why she may have signed onto such a provocative campaign in the first place.

This isn’t the first time Sweeney’s advertising choices have generated this level of conversation. The Novig campaign has already drawn comparisons to the backlash she faced earlier this year over her American Eagle campaign, suggesting that navigating public reaction to high-profile brand deals has become something of a recurring theme in her career.

What do you think about Sydney Sweeney's controversial Novig ad?

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