Sydney Sweeney responds to backlash by pairing the ad with past athlete nude photoshoots
Sydney SweeneyActor; strategic partner and equity holder, Novig
Sydney Sweeney posted images from the Novig ad on Instagram on September 13 with the caption "it's gamedayyy @novig #novigpartner." Fox News reported that she also shared ESPN "Body Issue" photographs of athletes, which TheWrap described as Instagram Stories.
“it’s gamedayyy @novig #novigpartner”
Original post
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Novig, a U.S. sports prediction market in which Sydney Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder, released a "Just Sports" ad campaign on September 9, 2026, in which Sweeney appears nude or minimally clothed while covering herself with sports equipment. The ad drew public criticism from a number of female athletes, who said it sexualizes women’s sport; Novig’s CEO and at least one columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Original caption on the verified Sydney Sweeney account, co-posted with Novig. The feed post promotes the Novig campaign. The caption supplies no explanation of the separately reported ESPN athlete photographs.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Fox News report directly quoting the caption ("It’s gamedayyyy") on Sweeney’s Sept. 13 Instagram response to the backlash.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
TheWrap reports that Sweeney posted ESPN Body Issue covers in her Instagram Story. It separately quotes her campaign statement on the Novig website. The report corroborates the image context, rather than supplying the feed caption.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Posted to Instagram on September 13, 2026, as the athlete-led backlash was building.
After the quotation
Sweeney did not otherwise give a verbal, on-record response addressing the athletes’ specific objections as of this record.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
DI reads the reported juxtaposition of campaign and athlete photographs as an implicit defense of the ad. The caption itself does not explain the comparison.
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Corrections to this statement
These notices document reporting corrections, classification changes, and topic-label updates.
Reporting correction
Correction to: Statement by Sydney Sweeney
- Previous language
- It’s gamedayyyy [caption on a carousel pairing an image from the Novig ad with ESPN "Body Issue" photos of athletes including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce]
- Corrected language
- it’s gamedayyy @novig #novigpartner Sydney Sweeney posted images from the Novig ad on Instagram on September 13 with the caption "it's gamedayyy @novig #novigpartner." Fox News reported that she also shared ESPN "Body Issue" photographs of athletes, which TheWrap described as Instagram Stories.
We removed an editorial image description from Sweeney's quotation and restored the caption as displayed in her September 13 Instagram post. The earlier description merged the feed post with separately reported Instagram Stories. The image context now appears outside the quotation with attribution to Fox News and TheWrap. The Fox News report's publication date is September 13, 2026, rather than the previously listed September 15.
This corrects our account of what happened.
Original caption on the verified Sydney Sweeney account, co-posted with Novig. The feed post promotes the Novig campaign. The caption supplies no explanation of the separately reported ESPN athlete photographs.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Fox News report directly quoting the caption ("It’s gamedayyyy") on Sweeney’s Sept. 13 Instagram response to the backlash.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)TheWrap reports that Sweeney posted ESPN Body Issue covers in her Instagram Story. It separately quotes her campaign statement on the Novig website. The report corroborates the image context, rather than supplying the feed caption.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)More from this case
Read the full caseFortinsky renews his defense of Novig's Sweeney ad
“Ultimately, I think we have nothing to apologize for and are very proud of the work that we did,”Read statement
Jen Psaki criticizes the message of Novig’s Sydney Sweeney ad
“But the problem is the message an ad like this sends about women in sports.”Read statement
Sophie Cunningham on the backlash: “Why are girls mad?… Go do your thing sis”
“Why are girls mad? That is literally what she does… Men, sports, naked women. Of course that’s gonna draw attention… Go do your thing sis”Read statement
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- Sydney Sweeney responds to backlash by pairing the ad with past athlete nude photoshoots
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The Dispute Index. "Sydney Sweeney responds to backlash by pairing the ad with past athlete nude photoshoots". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-10-07. https://disputeindex.com/events/707-sydney-sweeney-posted-images-from-the-novig-ad