By admin 
The Sydney Sweeney Novig ‘Just Sports’ ad dominated social media over the last week, and as we wrap up a loaded weekend of college and pro football, the responses have only gotten louded. More specifically, the controversy surrounding it has intensified and doesn’t appear to be cooling off.
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There’s been a whirlwind of responses, specifically from female athletes who haven’t shied away from voicing their opinions on Sweeney’s new ad and deal with Novig. Following the initial video (seen below), several notable athletes across various sports have weighed in on the topic.
The primary pushback came from many incredible female athletes across the sports landscape, including American gymnast Gracie Kramer, who posted a video with the caption, “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus also called out the ad on Instagram, stating that she feels “infuriated” when watching it, as Deadline highlighted.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” Titmus wrote 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,” she continued. “How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
British sprinter Amy Hunt called out Sweeney’s decision during a BBC interview as well:
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“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” she said after racing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. “Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears. This is a beautiful evening.”
Several other athletes offered strong pushback and shared their opinions, which seemingly led Sweeney to respond with no words, just several photos on her Instagram story of athletes featured in ESPN’s ‘Body’ issue. A few of the photos posted can be seen in a clip from Humans of Australia.
Along with the photos of Serena Williams and Myles Garrett from ESPN’s ‘Body’ issue, Sweeney also added several others, including Caroline Wozniak, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Rob Gronkowski, Ronda Rousey, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Philadelphia Eagles’ former offensive line.
There’s no denying this controversy isn’t going to die down anytime soon, and given that Sweeney has an equity stake in Novig through her new deal, it’ll be interesting to see whether the company decides to run another ad in the near future. More specifically, if they do, it’ll be worth watching to see exactly how they approach that potential follow-up ad.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Sydney Sweeney responds to Novig ad controversy without using a single word
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Reporting by Jeff Smith, For The Win / For The Win
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 6:39 AM.