EXCLUSIVE: Sydney Sweeney Mocked as a 'Bonnie Blue Copycat'
Sydney Sweeney is now being compared to Bonnie Blue.
Sept. 25 2026, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
Sydney Sweeney is being mocked as a "Bonnie Blue copycat" amid backlash over her increasingly provocative image and controversial new sports betting campaign, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Euphoria actress, 29, sparked the row after appearing in an ad for prediction-market company Novig, in which sporting equipment strategically covers her body.
Sydney Sweeney Faces Bonnie Blue Comparison
Sweeney has been mocked as a 'Bonnie Blue copycat' over her image.
The campaign has divided commentators and female athletes, while a Spectator magazine op-ed has now gone far further by comparing Sweeney's marketing of her sexuality with British adult-content creator Bonnie Blue, 27.
A media source claimed: "Sydney is being accused by her harshest critics of becoming Hollywood's answer to Bonnie Blue – constantly finding another way to push the boundaries because she knows controversy drives attention.
"The argument isn't that the two women have identical careers – clearly they don't. It's that critics believe both understand exactly how sexuality, outrage and the algorithm can be combined to keep people talking about them."
The insider noted, "Every controversy becomes another global conversation about Sydney. Her critics see that as cynical, while her supporters would say she is a grown woman making her own choices and has every right to capitalize on her image."
Female Athletes Criticize Novig Advertising Campaign
Amy Hunt, Ariarne Titmus and Gracie Kramer criticized Sweeney's controversial campaign
Sweeney's Novig commercial has already drawn criticism from prominent sportswomen.
British sprinter Amy Hunt, 24, responded after competing at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, saying: "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women's sport looks like. Hard work, sweat, blood, tears."
Australian Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus, 26, also criticized the campaign, while American gymnast Gracie Kramer, 28, posted footage of her training and contrasted it with Sweeney's advertisement.
Another entertainment source said: "There is a feeling among some young women that this supposedly empowering imagery simply repackages a very old idea – that female attention and commercial value ultimately come down to being desirable to men.
"That's where the Bonnie Blue comparison is coming from. The criticism is that if outrage produces clicks, followers, and money, there is always an incentive to go further next time."
Spectator Op-Ed Fuels Debate Over Sexualized Imagery
WNBA star Sophie Cunningham defended Sweeney's freedom to choose.
The Spectator commentary argues that Sweeney represents the pressures created by a hypersexualized online culture, claiming idealized images can leave young women scrutinizing their own appearance and questioning whether they measure up.
The piece was positioned as tongue-in-cheek, but the comparison between Sweeney and Blue has taken off on social media.
Sweeney's defenders have rejected the wider backlash.
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, 30, said she questioned aspects of the Novig campaign but defended Sweeney's freedom to make her own decisions, telling her: "Go do your thing, sis."
Hollywood Star's Image Sparks Wider Feminism Debate
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The actress argued she faces unfair double standards compared to men.
A Hollywood source claimed: "Sydney has become a lightning rod for a much bigger argument about beauty, s-- and feminism. Whatever she does now is interpreted as some grand statement about women.
"The Bonnie Blue jibe is designed to be provocative, but it also shows how polarized the conversation has become. One side sees cynical commodification; the other sees a successful woman exercising control over her body and business."
Sweeney responded to criticism of the campaign by highlighting provocative shoots previously undertaken by male and female sports stars, raising the question of whether she was being subjected to a double standard.
The debate over her ad has spread beyond the original commercial, with commentators arguing over whether the campaign exploits women's sport or represents deliberately provocative advertising.
