NEWSMegyn Kelly Defends Sydney Sweeney's Controversial Stripped Down Ad: People Are 'So Judgy About a Gorgeous Woman'
Megyn Kelly came to Sydney Sweeney's defense amid criticism of the actress's recent collaboration with a sports betting platform.
Sept. 23 2026, Published 6:17 p.m. ET
Sydney Sweeney had Megyn Kelly in her corner as the journalist defended her amid backlash over the actress's sports betting advertisement, in which she appeared nearly nude.
Megyn Kelly Defended Sydney Sweeney
Megyn Kelly claimed women were being 'so judgy' about Sydney Sweeney's recent sports betting ad.
"There's been a predictable leftist feminist meltdown," Kelly, 55, claimed during the Wednesday, September 23, broadcast of "The Megyn Kelly Show."
"Some female athletes are p-----, but I don't get it. I'm all for female athletes, but, like, since the dawn of time, we've been selling sports to men by using s--- women in ads," the journalist continued.
Megyn Kelly Claimed Women Were 'So Judgy' About Sydney Sweeney's Ad
Sydney Sweeney reportedly lost 200,000 followers following the release of the ad.
"The Megyn Kelly Show" host addressed female athletes speaking out against Sweeney's ad, agreeing with her guest, Emily Jashinsky, that the Euphoria actress "wasn't holding herself up as an example of a real female athlete."
"Nobody's taking a shot at female athletes or saying that they have to look like Sydney Sweeney," she said, calling the left side "so judgy about a gorgeous woman" who wanted to flaunt their body.
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Sydney Sweeney's Skin-Baring Ad Made Headlines
Megyn Kelly claimed she would do similar ads as Sydney Sweeney if she had her body.
Kelly continued, "Sydney Sweeney, it would be like a tragedy if that woman didn't occasionally show off that body. If I looked like that, I'd be doing nude ads too."
The ad for Novig's sports prediction platform made headlines earlier this month. During the 60-second clip, Sweeney used footballs, basketballs, a soccer ball and a hockey net to strategically cover her scantily clad body.
The video was met with immediate criticism, including protests from several female athletes who accused Sweeney of sexualizing women in sports.
Novig CEO Said Sydney Sweeney Did a 'Great Job' With Sports Betting Ad
Novig 'passed a billion dollars in cumulative volume' since its August launch, according to the CEO.
Though Sweeney initially gained 50,000 Instagram followers in the three days after posting the ad, she lost more than 200,000 over the next 48 hours, according to Variety.
The decline represented less than one percent of her audience of more than 25 million.
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky spoke out following the ad's release on September 16, praising Sweeney's performance and revealing the company "just passed a billion dollars in cumulative volume" despite only launching in August.
“Ultimately, I think she did a great job at conveying the essence of our company and we’ve been very happy with how positive the feedback has been overall,” he said of the actress, who was both a strategic partner and equity holder, per Front Office Sports.
