Sydney Sweeney has cemented her status as Hollywood's leading lady, known for her roles in Euphoria and The Handmaid's Tale, as well as blockbusters like Anyone But You and Madame Web. She has also launched her own intimate apparel brand, SYRN, competing with Rihanna's Savage X Fenty and Kim Kardashian's Skims. Throughout her career, she has frequently posed in skimpy outfits, from lingerie to bikinis, and has faced both admiration and backlash for her daring choices.
Early Bikini Selfies and SYRN Launch
Before founding SYRN, Sweeney shared sultry selfies on Instagram, including a bright green bikini with a matching sarong during a sun-soaked getaway. Her lingerie brand, launched in January 2026, caused a stir among fans, featuring photoshoots where she wore a bodysuit in a skin-tone color to create the illusion of nudity. Another shoot saw her in a neon pink lingerie set, channeling a Barbie aesthetic.
Euphoria's Most Provocative Scenes
Euphoria season three aired in April 2026, rounding out the HBO series with more nudity. One scene showed Sweeney squatting completely nude, wearing only a blue baseball hat, a baseball glove, and black stripes on her face. She had previously gone topless for a sex scene with McKay in earlier episodes. Another scene featured her topless as a vanilla ice cream cone dripped down her arm. The show ended in May 2026.
Her character Cassie Howard's sex worker storyline drew backlash from viewers, with one writing: "Is anyone else getting kinda bored with the Cassie humiliation ritual?" Another fan questioned: "Like what else honestly? What is going to happen with her character outside of this? Where is her character gonna go?"
SYRN Criticism and Novig Ad Controversy
While promoting SYRN, Sweeney showcased an all-lace ensemble with a matching bra, skirt, suspenders, and stockings. However, some buyers were unimpressed, with one Reddit user saying: "Honestly, between seeing how she's almost always styled in ill-fitting bras on the red carpet and what she had offered in her swimsuit line, I didn't have any hope she would provide anything I could wear."
Her most controversial move came on September 9, 2026, when she posed completely nude for the sports trading site Novig. The viral commercial, viewed more than 22 million times in 48 hours, showed her covering her body with footballs, basketballs, and other sports equipment. She told viewers they can bet on "just sports" and added: "You can't trade this, I just look good here." The ad divided the internet, with some defending her right to strip off and others accusing her of sexualising women in sport.
British sprinter Amy Hunt, after finishing fourth in the 200m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, said: "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like: 21.4. Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears. This is a beautiful evening." British Olympic cycling gold medallist Sophie Capewell also wrote on social media: "Imagine a world where sexualised representation isn't the most popular way of seeing women in sport."
