Sydney Sweeney has lost more than 200,000 Instagram followers as a result of her controversial betting advert.
She sparked backlash after the release of her promotional video for bookmaker Novig, accused of sexualising women's sport by posing naked, using various pieces of sports equipment to cover herself up.
Last Wednesday Sweeney shared the ad on Instagram - where it has racked up 1.1 million likes so far. But in the three days after the commercial dropped, Sweeney's followers on her own Instagram account have dropped.
Sydney Sweeney at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Madame Web' held at the Regency Village Theatres in Westwood. Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com
They first went up by 50,000 but on Sunday, she had lost 136,848.
By Monday, another 68,000 had unfollowed her, according to data from social-media analytics firm Social Blade.
@the.australianSydney Sweeney is in hot water again, this time over a controversial new sports ad. Some of Australia’s biggest female athletes have hit back, accusing the campaign of sexualising women in sport. Read the latest at the link in our bio.♬ original sound - The Australian
Several high-profile athletes publicly criticised the campaign. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus said she was “infuriated” by the advertisement and questioned why women's sport continues to be marketed through a lens that focuses on sexualisation rather than athletic achievement.
Other athletes used the controversy to draw attention to the skill, commitment, and hard work required to succeed in women's sport. American artistic gymnast Gracie Kramer shared a video on Instagram with the caption: “I don't know what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a women in sport looks like”, adding, “Because it really is that deep.”
View this post on Instagram
Two-time Olympian and silver medallist Kassidy Leigh Cook also voiced her support for fellow athletes on Instagram, writing: “happy to hop in this trend …. Women athletes rule… not for what our bodies look like… But for what our bodies can do.”
View this post on Instagram
As criticism continued, Sweeney appeared to respond by posting images of several prominent female athletes who have previously posed nude or taken part in revealing photoshoots. Among those featured were Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and Sue Bird. She also shared examples of male athletes who had participated in similar sports-related photoshoots.
American Eagle advertising billboard with Sydney Sweeney and her great jeans. Photo Credit: Zoltan Tarlacz / Shutterstock.com
That said, the followers she lost as result of her Novig campaign represent less than 1% of her more than 25 million followers.
