You can say Sydney Sweeney has gotten herself into a few troubles over the years. Once a total sweetheart who embraced interviews with nothing but pure innocence, much of that changed when she found herself caught up in heated discourse, with people dragging her over controversial actions… ones the internet could never simply ignore.
Her breakout role in Euphoria brought us into her world and helped shape the trajectory of her acting career. Most of you love her… But some of you don’t. Because as Sydney’s personal life and work with major industry brands began making headlines, fans started questioning whether she was being genuine or deliberately leaning into the attention for exposure.
So, come along as I take a look back at Sydney Sweeney’s most publicized controversies, and the moments that had the internet divided.
Sydney Sweeney’s Biggest Controversies
1. Sydney Posts Photos Celebrating Her Mom’s Birthday
Sydney first found herself at the center of online conversation in 2022, when she shared photos from her mom’s 60th birthday celebration. Alongside sweet family moments and shots with other guests, fans quickly noticed some questionable fashion choices in the photos. Her brother, Trent Sweeney, was tagged in the posts, while some guests were seen wearing hats that read “Make Sixty Great Again,” seemingly mimicking the iconic MAGA slogan.
The photos sparked a wave of criticism, with some people questioning whether the celebration had political undertones, while others pointed out that Sydney herself wasn’t wearing one of the hats and said her political beliefs were irrelevant.
Trying to clear things up, Sydney tweeted, “An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions.”
She then appeared on SNL in 2024 where she cheekily revisited her mom’s controversial birthday party, saying: “Like when people ask, where you from? I say Washington. But when people ask, did you go to a Trump-themed party for your mom? I say Idaho.”
2. Sydney Promotes Bathwater Soap
Dr. Squatch provides bath products for men, so when Sydney boldly made her way into this world of masculinity, she sparked some controversy. She told the boys to “quit being a dirty little boy” and be a man if they’re interested in her “body.”
She partnered with Dr. Squatch by releasing a bar of soap made from her actual bathwater, aptly named Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss. But before that, she had already appeared in an ad promoting Dr. Squatch Natural Body Wash. She could be seen half-submerged in a bubble-filled bathtub while speaking seductively to the camera.
Some embraced the ad, joking about quitting Old Spice just for Sydney, while others immediately ordered tons of the products. And, unsurprisingly, most of the comments came from dudes.
However, the ad also received criticism, with some calling the promotion “distasteful” and “disappointing.” Later, Sydney told The Wall Street Journal that it was mainly women who had something to say: “It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting.”
3. Sydney Promotes her Great Jeans
Around that same time, American Eagle’s jeans campaign dropped and, once again, Sydney was the face of the promotion, causing yet another wave of discussion online.
In one of the ad’s videos, Sydney delivers the line: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality or even eye color. My jeans are blue.” The public quickly picked up on the intended double meaning, with critics arguing that the campaign echoed ideas associated with eugenics — the belief that certain traits or groups are more desirable than others. In short, critics saw the campaign as promoting the idea that being white is superior.
The ad also sparked criticism over the sexualization of women, with some drawing comparisons to Brooke Shields’ controversial Calvin Klein campaign at age 15 in the 1980s, which critics have described as “child pornography.”
NPR commented: “Sweeney has become known for taking roles or partnerships where her sexiness is the center of attention. It’s an attention economy here that is focused on her.”
4. Sydney Adorns the Hollywood Sign With Lingerie
In yet another controversy, Sydney and her team made their way to the Hollywood Sign under the cover of darkness, hanging bras from the letters of the iconic landmark.
The stunt was reportedly done to promote her new lingerie line, Syrn, but things didn’t exactly go according to plan. While they may have gained access through FilmLA to shoot a video around the site, touching or climbing the sign was prohibited. An email obtained by TMZ from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stated that anything filmed for the promotional campaign first needed approval from the Chamber… which the team failed to obtain, leading to accusations of vandalism and trespassing.
Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said they did not “seek a license or permission from the Chamber for that production.”
5. Sydney’s Portrays an OnlyFans Model in ‘Euphoria’
Fans of Euphoria never really got over Cassie’s hypersexualized themes during season three. Many of her scenes heavily involved OnlyFans-related content, which she would casually and playfully perform in front of the camera.
But the highlighted controversy here was how some viewers felt it was not a “good representation” and even a “mockery” of those working in the real sex-work industry. This aspect of Sydney’s portrayal became part of what people associated with her on-screen persona, especially as she continued to take on roles and projects involving similar themes.
6. Sydney Gets Naked For Novig
Sydney’s most recent controversy was her collab with Novig, a sports betting app, which has faced massive backlash, this time from women in sports.
Earlier this month, Novig uploaded a video featuring Sydney nude across its social media platforms. She was seen using various sporting equipment and props to cover herself. While the ad may have been intended to grab attention, critics argued that it had little meaningful connection to sports, with much of the backlash coming from female athletes who have dedicated their lives to earning recognition and respect on the same level as their male counterparts.
“How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman’s body and sexualizing women’s sport is still a thing?” four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus shared on Instagram.
Gracie Kramer, a former U.S. gymnast, also shared her thoughts on the app: “I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.”
Okay, I might’ve been shaken up by that one, but there could be more scandals coming… or maybe not. As long as we’re still talking about her latest controversy, all eyes are on Sydney.
Let me know in the comments: what other Sydney Sweeney controversies had you side-eyeing the star?
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