Sweeney Posts ESPN Body Issue Nudes Amid Novig Ad Backlash

Over the weekend, Sydney Sweeney posted a collage of celebrity athletes posing nude for ESPN’s Body Issue on her Instagram Story. The collection included Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki — all featured in past editions of the annual publication.

The actor also added male athletes to the set: Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, and Karl-Anthony Towns. A 2019 group photo of the Eagles Offensive Line — Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Isaac Seumalo, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai — appeared alongside them. After sharing the images, Sweeney re-posted her own photos from the Novig advertisement.

What triggered the response?

Last week, Sweeney appeared in a provocative advertisement for Novig, a sports trading platform. In the campaign, she appeared nearly nude while declaring the app is “just sports.” The ad drew immediate criticism from multiple female athletes.

Retired Olympian Ariarne Titmus expressed disappointment via her Instagram Story, calling the ad “a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is.”

Former UCLA gymnast Gracie Kramer and Olympic water polo player Tilly Kearns also voiced criticism online. Meanwhile, Sweeney shared a carousel of her Novig campaign photos with the caption, “It’s gamedayyy.” Though the post attracted widespread negative commentary, it had accumulated more than two million likes as of this writing.