Managing editor, Townhall.
Case
Sydney Sweeney, an equity holder in sports-prediction platform Novig, starred in a nude ad campaign that female athletes say sexualizes women's sport. Novig's CEO and a Guardian columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Role at the time: Managing editor, Townhall
Statement summary
Townhall managing editor Matt Vespa defended Sydney Sweeney's appearance in the Novig ad, writing "it's her body, her choice" and dismissing critics as jealous.
“It's her body, her choice... Is it me, or are women just jealous of Sweeney?”
Vespa explicitly defends Sweeney's choice to appear in the ad and dismisses the backlash as hypocritical jealousy, a direct defense of the ad against the criticism it drew.
Statement dates: September 16, 2026
