Role at the time: Founder and CEO, Magnolia Tribune
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Magnolia Tribune founder Russ Latino defended Sweeney's appearance in the ad, arguing that if body positivity is celebrated for other campaigns, "that principle has to include women whose bodies other people happen to find attractive."
“If women are supposed to be proud of their bodies, that principle has to include women whose bodies other people happen to find attractive.”
Latino explicitly defends Sweeney's choice to appear in the ad, arguing the backlash reveals a hypocritical double standard relative to other body-positivity campaigns.
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.
