Actress Sharon Stone has urged Sydney Sweeney to “take responsibility” for the controversial nude sports betting ad that garnered backlash from the athletic community.
Sweeney made headlines this month when appearing nearly nude as part of a promotional campaign for the sports betting platform Novig, sparking accusations from prominent athletes that the actress was denigrating and sexualizing women’s sports.
Stone — who starred opposite Sweeney in the third season of “Euphoria” — was asked about the controversy at an event in Los Angeles, saying she was a “cheerleader” for women’s sports.
“I think that it’s up to [Sweeney] to take responsibility for her actions, not up to me to judge her for her actions,” the “Basic Instinct” star told People.
“It is up to me to be a cheerleader for the women who have made it through and become champions in women’s sports.”
Stone added that the focus of women’s sports should not be on getting “men’s attention.”
“We can’t denigrate women’s sports to get men’s attention so they can gamble,” she said.
Sweeney appeared almost naked in the Novig ad while covering herself with sports equipment and saying the betting platform was “just for sport.”
It prompted fierce backlash among the sporting community, including Olympic athletes like water polo player Tilly Kearns, boxer Skye Nicolson and swimming champion Ariarne Titmus.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel,” Titmus wrote of the ad on Instagram. “Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is — teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity.”
For her part, Sweeney subtly addressed the backlash by sharing past magazine covers and ad campaigns in which famous athletes, including Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey, had posed provocatively or with very little clothing.
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky also hit back at the controversy, saying the platform is “hugely supportive of women’s sports” and the campaign “never intended to portray female sports.”
“Sydney is an actress, the biggest movie star in the world. We’re a prediction market focused on sports. That is the story she was communicating,” Novig said.
It’s not the first time Stone has weighed in on her co-star’s controversies.
Last year, she defended Sweeney amid backlash over her American Eagle jeans ad, saying “it’s okay to use what mama gave you.”
“It’s really okay to use every bit of hotness you have — right here, right now — and go for whatever that is,” Stone said at the time.
