On her SiriusXM show Megyn Kelly says critics are overreacting to Sydney Sweeney’s Novig ad and links the outrage to politics; several female athletes publicly criticized the campaign.
Megyn Kelly argued Sydney Sweeney’s nude Novig ad is standard advertising targeting men and called the backlash a ‘predictable leftist meltdown.’
Female athletes including Amy Hunt, Gracie Kramer and Ariarne Titmus publicly criticized Sweeney’s campaign as inappropriate for women in sport.
Several women in sport publicly criticized the campaign. British sprinter Amy Hunt responded after a race by saying "this is what women in sport look like." Former U.S. gymnast Gracie Kramer shared a video of herself playing multiple sports with the caption that contrasted her athletic work with Sweeney's ad. Four-time Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus called the campaign a "kick in the face."
Sweeney posted a carousel on Instagram featuring images of herself posing nude while holding footballs, soccer balls, basketballs and other equipment. She also shared imagery of nude athletes on magazine covers such as ESPN, a move that aligns her campaign with a history of provocative sports photography.
On her SiriusXM program The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly played the Novig ad and pushed back on the critics. She said, "She's hot … I don't get it," and framed the ad as part of a long tradition of using attractive women in sports advertising aimed at male viewers. Kelly called the backlash a "predictable leftist meltdown" and suggested some of the negative reaction is politically motivated because Sweeney is a registered Republican and previously did a controversial jeans ad.
Kelly's guest Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party, added that athletes might better direct their anger at the role advertising plays in promoting sports gambling rather than at Sweeney herself.
Kelly has not always defended Sweeney. Earlier in the year she criticized Sweeney's Season 3 Euphoria storyline that included a scene where Sweeney's character wore baby-style lingerie and used a pacifier. Kelly said that depiction was sexualizing infancy.
What this means for the conversation around advertising and athletes
The exchange highlights a few consistent tensions: how women's bodies are used in advertising, the boundaries between entertainment and athletic representation, and political polarization around public figures. The debate also raises questions about where to direct criticism—at the individual performer, the advertiser, or the broader media culture and commercial practices like sports betting promotion.
Sydney Sweeney seemingly responded to backlash from her recent nude sports ad.Sweeney, 29, shared a series of images on social media over the weekend ...
Campaign is 'about embracing a fun idea,' actress says
Sydney Sweeney fired back at critics of her Novig sports trading app ad by posting ESPN magazine covers featuring nude athletes like Serena Williams.
On “The Alex Marlow Show,” host and Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow talked about Marlow said, ” Sydney Sweeney right now is the single biggest defender of Americana we’ve got in this country.” The Alex Marlow Show, hosted by Breitbart Editor-in-Chief The post Marlow: Sydney Sweeney Single-Handedly Saving ‘America
Megyn Kelly gave the outfit 'a thumbs down'
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