Another controversial advertisement featuring Sydney Sweeney has hit television screens and social media.
The 29-year-old "Euphoria" actress stars in a new ad for sports trading app Novig, where she models alongside various sports equipment while either topless or fully nude.
Launched in 2021, Novis promises a fairer, more transparent trading experience than other platforms, according to its website. Sweeney's ad aimed to convey that the platform focuses only on sports, unlike others that have expanded to include betting on politics, reality television and even court cases.
"Think you know sports? Prove it," Sweeney, whose primary address is in Monroe County, Florida, says in the ad. "Novig is just sports. So they wanted to show just sports."
The
“Just Sports” ad has gone viral, racking up over 25 million views on Instagram. However, the advertisement has received backlash and sparked discussion over the sexualization of women, especially in sports. Even some female athletes, such as Olympian gymnast Gracie Kramer, spoke out against Sweeney's ad online.
Sweeney is no stranger to controversial advertisements, seeing major discussions over her ads for retailer American Eagle and grooming brand Dr. Squatch.
Has Sydney Sweeney or Novig addressed the backlash?
While neither Novig nor Sweeney has directly addressed the backlash, Sweeney may have responded indirectly. According to NBC News, she posted a series of images on her Instagram stories featuring nude athletes from ESPN's "Body Issue," including Serena Williams and Rob Gronkowski, in an apparent response to the criticism.
Jacob Fortinsky, cofounder and CEO of Novig, told The Wall Street Journal ahead of the ad's release that the company did not intend to make such a big splash with its first national campaign. However, he said Sweeney, an equity holder in Novig, led the creative discussions and created the ad's message.
In an interview with Complex tied to the campaign, Sweeney also said she was a part of the creative conversations from the very beginning and that the ad was "a very simple and playful idea" aimed at bringing "the concept of 'just sports' to life."
Does Sydney Sweeney live in Florida?
Yes, she does.
According to Architectural Digest, Sweeney purchased a $13.5 million oceanfront mansion in the Florida Keys in 2024.
Architectural Digest revealed the property features "six bedrooms and eight bathrooms spread across 7,720 square feet, with a 330-gallon aquarium, a 520-bottle wine room, a chef’s kitchen, a home gym, and a game room." They also noted that the property has a large infinity pool with a swim-up bar and an attached spa, a spacious back deck surrounded by tall palm trees and a private boat launch.
The Florida mansion is Sweeney's fourth home in her real estate portfolio. She owns property in Los Angeles and Bel Air, California and has also revealed that she bought a home that once belonged to her great-grandma. It's unknown where the house is, but she shared that it was a "two-bedroom, cute house."
Is Sydney Sweeney a Republican?
Yes, she is. According to publicly available Florida voter registration records reviewed by USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA, Sweeney has been registered as a Republican since June 2024.
Discussion over her politics became relevant after both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance shared their support for the ad. Since the news broke about her political affiliation last year, Sweeney has seen mixed criticism and support, with responses on social media ranging from "canceling Sweeney" to "why does this even matter?"
What was Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle controversy about?
American Eagle released a campaign with Sweeney in July 2025, posting several videos of the star in a pair of pants called "The Sydney Jean" that raised money for the Crisis Text Line.
One video featured this dialogue from Sweeney: "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue."
Social media lit up online as shoppers voiced their concerns about what they saw as a harmful message about beauty ideals, race and "good" versus "bad" genes. According to USA TODAY, some said the ad's characterization of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white woman as having "great genes" was a subtle nod to eugenics, the highly controversial and discredited belief that the human population can improve or advance itself through selective breeding.
Sweeney has spoken about the controversy several times, mostly saying she was shocked by the response and took the job simply because she "loves denim and the American Eagle brand." In an interview with PEOPLE Magazine, she did say does not support the "assigned motives or labels" critics connected to the campaign.
The clothing retailer also spoke out against the backlash saying the ad was always just about the jeans in an Instagram post shared Aug. 1.
This summer, Sweeney returned as the star of American Eagle's summer 2026 jean shorts ad campaign.
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Sydney Sweeney in new controversial commercial. Does she live in Florida?
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Prediction Markets: Certain prediction markets are event contracts regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or other applicable regulatory authorities and are legally distinct from traditional gambling and sports betting. Eligibility requirements to participate in prediction markets differ from those for sports betting and gambling — you may be required to be 18 or older (or such other age as the applicable platform requires) and to satisfy other eligibility criteria established by the relevant platform and governing law. Prediction market trading involves financial risk and may not be available in all jurisdictions. The legal and regulatory status of prediction markets varies by jurisdiction and by platform. It is your sole responsibility to confirm that participation is lawful where you reside and to comply with all applicable laws and platform terms.
