Disputes concerning how women athletes and women’s sport are portrayed, marketed, or discussed publicly.
Published coverage on this page: 1 case · 15 statements. Statements are ordered newest first.
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.
Published
Read the caseLabels describe a response to the linked claim or the action explained in the statement summary. Choose one or more.
15 matching statements
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?”
What this label refers to
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.
Role at the time: Founder and CEO, Magnolia Tribune
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.”
What this label refers to
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.
Role at the time: British sprinter; four-time European champion
Statement summary
Amy Hunt said on Good Morning Britain that her concern about the Novig ad was not personal against Sydney Sweeney, and that "the reaction has almost outweighed the moment," while maintaining the ad risks becoming a barrier to girls in sport.
“It's not anything personal against that actress... the reaction has almost outweighed the moment.”
What this label refers to
Hunt maintains her substantive concern that the ad risks becoming a barrier to girls in sport, while explicitly softening her framing to say it isn't personal against Sweeney and that the reaction has 'almost outweighed the moment' -- a materially different, more conditional statement than her earlier condemnation.
Role at the time: Co-founder and CEO, Novig
Statement summary
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said Sydney Sweeney "was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging" in the ad, shifting creative responsibility for its content toward her.
“It really was Sydney who was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging.”
What this label refers to
Fortinsky shifts creative responsibility for the ad's content onto Sweeney rather than defending or condemning the ad's substance outright -- a distinct claim from his earlier 'never intended to portray female sports' statement, reframing the dispute over who is responsible without resolving whether the ad itself was appropriate.
Role at the time: Columnist, The Guardian
Statement summary
Guardian columnist Marina Hyde argued in a signed opinion column that the backlash against the Novig ad is disproportionate.
“Come on. With respect, I just don’t think it’s a kick in the face for any of those things... I can’t help feeling it would have been cooler for women’s sport to simply not even mention the naked gambling ad at all.”
What this label refers to
Hyde’s signed column directly disputes Titmus’s "kick in the face" characterization and argues the backlash is disproportionate, challenging how the ad has been characterized rather than defending its content on the merits.
Role at the time: Co-founder and CEO, Novig
Statement summary
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said the campaign never intended to portray women’s sport and that Sweeney drove its creative direction.
Quotation excerpt
“We never intended to portray female sports. Sydney’s an actress, the biggest movie star in the world. We’re a prediction market that is focused on sports, and that is the story that she was communicating... It really was Sydney who was…”
“We never intended to portray female sports. Sydney’s an actress, the biggest movie star in the world. We’re a prediction market that is focused on sports, and that is the story that she was communicating... It really was Sydney who was driving the visuals and the messaging.”
What this label refers to
Fortinsky defends the campaign as never having intended to portray women’s sport and frames the backlash as expected and not a fair reading of the ad’s purpose — an express defense of the conduct under scrutiny.
Role at the time: Professional big-wave surfer; WSL commentator
Statement summary
Australian big-wave surfer Felicity Palmateer called the Novig ad "very damaging" for young women in sport, posting on Instagram that it was "hypersexualized content designed to sell a gambling app," not what sport looks like.
“Don't know what Sydney thinks sport looks like, but THIS is what sport looks like... not hypersexualized content designed to sell a gambling app.”
What this label refers to
Palmateer directly condemns the ad as hypersexualized content misrepresenting what sport looks like, calling it damaging for young women in sport.
Role at the time: Co-host, Breaking Points
Statement summary
Breaking Points co-host Krystal Ball called the Sydney Sweeney/Novig ad "softcore pornography" shilling for the gambling industry.
“softcore pornography”
What this label refers to
Ball calls the ad 'softcore pornography' shilling for the gambling industry, a direct condemnation of the ad.
Role at the time: Canadian high diver
Statement summary
Molly Carlson said the Novig ad clashed with her own experience of body image in sport and argued athletes deserve to be celebrated for capability, not appearance.
Quotation excerpt
“This one hits close to home... because I didn’t think I looked like the athlete I was ‘supposed’ to be. Young girls deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated for their strength, courage, talent and what their bodies are capable…”
“This one hits close to home... because I didn’t think I looked like the athlete I was ‘supposed’ to be. Young girls deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated for their strength, courage, talent and what their bodies are capable of.”
What this label refers to
Carlson frames the ad against her own history of body-image struggles in sport and argues athletes should be celebrated for capability rather than appearance, a clear denunciation of the ad’s approach.
Role at the time: Professional boxer; world champion
Statement summary
Skye Nicolson argued the objection to the Novig ad is about using sex to sell sport, not about athletes looking attractive.
Quotation excerpt
“There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to use sex to sell ‘sport’. There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a…”
“There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to use sex to sell ‘sport’. There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete.”
What this label refers to
Nicolson distinguishes "looking sexy because you do sport" from "using sex to sell sport," disputing how the ad’s critics and defenders alike are framing the issue rather than issuing a blanket condemnation or defense.
Role at the time: Canadian alpine skier; 2026 Winter Olympian
Statement summary
Cassidy Gray called the Novig ad "idiotic" and "senseless" in a TikTok video, saying it undermines the work of female athletes.
Quotation excerpt
“It’s not a joke when your life is actually you being a female athlete, and you being sexualized or not taken seriously and not given the same opportunities, and then you see one of the most famous actresses in the world going and completely…”
“It’s not a joke when your life is actually you being a female athlete, and you being sexualized or not taken seriously and not given the same opportunities, and then you see one of the most famous actresses in the world going and completely wiping away all the work that you have done to be taken seriously... I fear you’re just out of touch, because it really is that deep.”
What this label refers to
Gray directly calls the ad "idiotic" and "senseless" and rejects the framing of it as a harmless joke, an express denunciation.
Role at the time: Actor; strategic partner and equity holder, Novig
Statement summary
Sydney Sweeney responded to the backlash by posting images from the Novig ad alongside past ESPN "Body Issue" photos of nude and semi-nude athletes.
Quotation excerpt
“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,…”
“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]”
What this label refers to
Sweeney’s post implicitly defends the ad by placing it alongside a history of athletes posing nude for ESPN’s Body Issue, arguing by comparison that the campaign should not be treated as exceptional.
Role at the time: American gymnast
Statement summary
Gracie Kramer told NBC News the Novig ad reinforces the sexualization of women’s sports rather than dismantling it.
Quotation excerpt
“When sexualization is used as a way to get men interested in women’s sports, it reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle. This isn’t celebrity drama to me. It’s about the culture we’re creating for the next generation…”
“When sexualization is used as a way to get men interested in women’s sports, it reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle. This isn’t celebrity drama to me. It’s about the culture we’re creating for the next generation of girls in sports and making sure they grow up believing their talent is enough to deserve attention and respect.”
What this label refers to
Kramer expressly argues the ad "reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle," a direct denunciation of the campaign’s approach.
Role at the time: British sprinter; four-time European champion
Statement summary
Amy Hunt told the BBC after a race that the Novig ad does not reflect what women in sport actually look like.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like... when you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty. It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy all the time, definitely.”
What this label refers to
Hunt directly contrasts the ad’s portrayal with what she says women in sport actually look like ("muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears"), condemning the ad’s depiction. She separately notes the criticism "isn’t anything personal" toward Sweeney as an individual, which qualifies her personal animus toward Sweeney but does not soften her criticism of the ad’s portrayal itself — flagged for editorial review given that nuance.
Role at the time: Retired Olympic swimmer; four-time Olympic gold medallist
Response to this claim
The Novig "Just Sports" ad campaign sexualizes women’s sport and demeans the work of women who compete in it, rather than showcasing athletic skill.
Quotation excerpt
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship,…”
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellent, unity... How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
Titmus expressly denounces the campaign as sexualizing women’s sport and monetizing a woman’s body, calling it a "kick in the face" to women in sport, with no qualifying condition.
Actor. In September 2026 she starred in and joined as a strategic partner and equity holder of Novig, a sports prediction market, for its "Just Sports" ad campaign.
1 case and 1 statement
