Key Takeaways
- Sharon Stone said Sydney Sweeney must "take responsibility" for her nearly nude Novig betting ad, while stressing that she would not judge her.
- Stone called herself a "cheerleader" for female athletes and argued that brands cannot "denigrate women’s sports to get men’s attention so they can gamble."
- Olympians including Ariarne Titmus criticized the campaign, while Sweeney highlighted similarly revealing shoots by Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and Megan Rapinoe.
Sharon Stone continues to be a "champion" for women in sports amid the spectacle of Sydney Sweeney's Novig campaign.
Earlier this month, The Housemaid star was announced as the face of the campaign for the sports betting platform and was controversially shown nude and in suggestive poses in the "Just Sports" ad.
Stone, who starred alongside Sweeney on the third and final season of Euphoria, was asked about the controversy at Variety's 2026 Power of Women, per People.
"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 told the outlet. "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 shared her disinterest in denigrating women's sports "to get men's attention so they can gamble."
Last year, as backlash built around the alleged eugenics message of Sweeney's American Eagle jeans campaign, Stone supported the actor by telling Variety that "it's okay to use what mama gave you."
Some female athletes, however, didn’t take kindly to Sweeney's image in the Novig campaign. Water polo player Tilly Kearns, boxer Skye Nicolson and swimming champion Ariarne Titmus were among those who objected to the visual.
"I can't describe how infuriated I feel," Titmus wrote on her Instagram Story, per The Guardian. "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."
Sweeney pushed back on the controversy by posting an Instagram Story of past magazine spreads that showed female athletes Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey and Megan Rapinoe wearing little or no clothing.
Novig CEO Jacob Fotinsky defended his company as "hugely supportive of women's sports" and said 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,” he added.
