Sydney Sweeney’s nude ad for sports betting app Novig has sparked fierce backlash from female athletes, and now the hosts of The View are weighing in. On September 14, Whoopi Goldberg and her co-hosts gave their opinion on the controversy, questioning both the campaign’s message and its ties to gambling.
Whoopi Goldberg and The View co-stars react to backlash Sydney Sweeney’s Novig ad
Goldberg drew a firm line between Sweeney and the athletes she invoked. After the actor defended her Novig campaign by pointing out that countless male and female athletes have posed nude for ESPN The Magazine, Goldberg rejected the comparison. “You’re an actor, who took a gig to make some dough — I’m not mad at you, but I don’t think you can put yourself on the equal footing of female athletes,” Goldberg said, addressing Sweeney.
Ana Navarro argued that Sweeney has “figured out the formula of creating outrage and monetizing that,” citing the actor’s controversial American Eagle campaign as another example. “Which again, more power to her,” Navarro added, “but we shouldn’t give her the power to determine and define the athleticism ability of female athletes.”
Furthermore, Sara Haines took a middle path, saying Sweeney “is allowed to use her sexuality however she wants,” while female athletes “are allowed to be outraged that they’re once again being defined by their bodies and not their talents.” But she redirected the panel’s focus: “the bigger problem to me … is that s*x and celebrity are being used to normalize gambling. We’re missing the message.”
The View’s Alyssa Farah Griffin agreed that gambling was “the part that matters the most.” She called Sweeney “a good businesswoman” who is “comfortable being naked” and “going to monetize that, and more power to her.” Still, Griffin questioned the broader trend. “I looked it up: men make up two-thirds of sports betting, so of course, she’s got an equity stake in this company,” she said. She added that she dislikes how a vice “that has really damaged a lot of people” has become normalized.
The backlash continues as Sydney Sweeney faces growing scrutiny over her partnership with Novig.
