Actress Sydney Sweeney has been criticized by her co-star Sharon Stone for her recent advertisement with Novig, a sports prediction platform. Stone, 68, commented on the ad at Variety’s 2026 Power of Women event in Los Angeles, suggesting that Sweeney, 29, should take responsibility for her actions. The ad, which features Sweeney scantily clad while promoting sports betting, has sparked backlash from female athletes.
Stone expressed her stance on the matter by saying, “I think that it’s up to her to take responsibility for her actions, not up to me to judge her for her actions. It is up to me to be a cheerleader for the women who have made it through and become champions in women’s sports.” Stone emphasized the importance of not undermining women’s sports to attract male attention for gambling purposes. The ad portrays Sweeney in near-nudity, posing provocatively with sports gear. The message encourages betting “just on sports.”
The criticism extends beyond Stone. Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ariarne Titmus voiced her anger on Instagram, questioning the continued normalization of monetizing and sexualizing women’s bodies in sports. British sprinter Amy Hunt referred to the ad after her performance in Budapest, asserting that women in sports represent “muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, and tears.”
In response, Sweeney shared images on social media from ESPN magazine that portrayed athletes like Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey in the nude. These posts seemed to counter the criticism by highlighting similar depictions of celebrated sportswomen. The debate over Sweeney’s ad also saw remarks from Curtis Houck, who speculated that the backlash might stem from jealousy. Newsbusters managing editor Houck criticized the strong response to Sweeney’s involvement in the ad.
Fox News Digital reached out to both Stone and Sweeney for additional comments on the controversy, while various figures continue to discuss the implications of the provocative campaign.
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