Sharon Stone has publicly called on Sydney Sweeney to own the fallout from a nude sports betting campaign that has drawn fierce criticism from elite athletes.
Stone, 67, who appeared alongside Sweeney, 27, in the third season of HBO’s “Euphoria,” made the comments at a Los Angeles event last week while voicing her broader support for women’s athletics. The “Basic Instinct” star positioned herself as an advocate rather than an arbiter in the dispute.
“I think that it’s up to [Sweeney] to take responsibility for her actions, not up to me to judge her for her actions,” Stone said.
“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 sharpened her stance by arguing that women’s sports deserve protection from exploitative marketing tactics. She contended that reducing female athletes to objects for male viewership undermines genuine progress in the field.
“We can’t denigrate women’s sports to get men’s attention so they can gamble,” she said.
The controversy erupted this month when Sweeney appeared nearly nude in promotional material for Novig, a sports betting platform, using only sports equipment to cover herself. In the spot, she delivered the line that the platform was “just for sport.” The imagery and messaging triggered an immediate backlash from prominent competitors who saw the campaign as trivializing and sexualizing women’s athletics.
Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus vented her frustration on Instagram, joining a chorus of athletes condemning the ad.
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel,” Titmus wrote. “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.”
Water polo Olympian Tilly Kearns and boxer Skye Nicolson also publicly criticized the campaign.
Sweeney responded indirectly to the mounting criticism by circulating previous magazine covers and advertisements in which celebrated athletes had posed provocatively or with minimal clothing. Among the examples she highlighted were Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey, both of whom have undertaken revealing photo shoots during their careers.
Novig chief executive Jacob Fortinsky defended the partnership and rejected accusations that the campaign demeaned female sports. He maintained that the company remains committed to supporting women’s athletics and that the creative concept had been misinterpreted.
“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,” Fortinsky said. He added that the platform is “hugely supportive of women’s sports” and that the campaign “never intended to portray female sports.”
This marks Stone’s second public intervention in a Sweeney marketing controversy. Last year, she took the opposite tack when Sweeney faced criticism over an American Eagle jeans advertisement, explicitly endorsing the younger actress’s right to leverage her appearance.
“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 that time. She also remarked then that “it’s okay to use what mama gave you.”
The Novig spot placed Sweeney at the center of a recurring debate about whether celebrity-endorsed campaigns that blend sexuality with sports messaging ultimately help or harm efforts to secure respect and equitable treatment for female athletes.
Stone’s intervention adds a notable Hollywood dimension to the dispute, given that the two actresses recently shared screen time in one of television’s most watched dramas. Her comments also reflect a generational tension within the entertainment industry about how women navigate commercial opportunities that invite scrutiny.
Neither Sweeney nor her representatives have issued a direct statement addressing Stone’s call for accountability.