Sydney Sweeney Slammed By Serena Williams' Husband Alexis For Sharing Athlete's Nude Ad Photo
Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian criticized Sydney Sweeney for comparing her nude sports ad campaign with those of renowned athletes.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleSydney Sweeney often makes headlines for her risqué outfit choices and her love life. Recently, the actress faced flak for her nude photoshoot for a sports advertisement. Following a hate train directed at her, Sydney allegedly hit back by dropping photos of athletes from similar bare-body shoots. She faced criticism for it from female athletes, and recently, Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian also shared his two cents.
Sydney Sweeney got slammed by Alexis Ohanian for sharing nude photos of his wife, Serena Williams, and other athletes
Sydney Sweeney has once again found herself at the center of a controversy over her bold life choices. The Euphoria star recently appeared in a debatable, bare-bodied September 2026 advertisement for Novig. In the ad, she also performed a series of mock sports, including tennis, golf, baseball, and ice hockey. Netizens and athletes criticized the ad for allegedly promoting the sexualization of female sportspersons.
Following that, Sydney took to her Instagram Stories and shared a series of nude photos of athletes from ESPN's famous Body Issue magazine, including that of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Rob Gronkowski, and Jason Kelce. It was seen by the public as Sydney Sweeney's way of hitting back at the backlash. Following that, Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, slammed the actress for comparing an entertainment advertisement to an athlete's tribute to her physique.
Alexis spoke to ESPN ahead of the London debut of Athlos, his elite all-female track and field event, and called the Christy actress "weird" for sharing images of athletes to allegedly defend her nude photoshoot. According to Alexis, the ad campaign's aim was to spark controversy and generate buzz around it, and it was "frustrating" to see them get what they wanted. He was quoted as saying:
"What's so weird is Sydney Sweeney is not an athlete. The whole thing clearly was designed to evoke a response. It's frustrating that we're spending this much time talking about Sydney Sweeney and not talking about the amazing actual women athletes."
Sydney's attempt to draw parallels between her commercial and Serena Williams' ESPN campaign photo didn't sit right with the latter's husband. According to Alexis Ohanian, the Body Issue nude photo series aimed to celebrate an athlete's hard work and dedication not just to their craft, but also to building and maintaining a good physique. Alexis mentioned that a sportsperson's body is as important as their résumé, and said:
"The whole point of the Body Issue is that these are athletes, men and women, who are electing to do this themselves. It's celebrating the fact that to be a professional athlete, especially a great one, you are giving your mind and body to a craft for decades. Your body is a résumé of how much effort you're putting into that craft."
Serena Williams' husband stood by female athletes who called Sydney Sweeney out for her nude sports ad campaign
Serena Williams' husband clarified that he was "not even mad" and doesn't intend to "disrespect" Sydney Sweeney for posing nude for an advertisement. As per him, anyone is free to pose however they want for a brand campaign, but the comparison between nude shoots of an athlete flaunting their body and an actor doing so was inaccurate and an attempt to create a "false equivalence."
Alexis, who is involved in investing in and promoting women's sports, said he was standing by the female athletes calling Sydney Sweeney out for her Novig ad campaign. In his words:
"If you are an actress, no disrespect to any actress, but you have not devoted decades of your life to perfecting a physical skill. So it's not at all the same...If she wants to be naked for a commercial, that's great, fine. It's the false equivalence that I really support our athletes calling out about."
What are your thoughts on Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian slamming Sydney Sweeney for comparing her nude sports ad campaign with those of renowned athletes? Let us know.
Photo courtesy: Serena Williams/Instagram, Novig
Also Read: Sharon Stone Shades Sydney Sweeney For Her Lingerie Line Amid Nude Ad Row, 'Stop Being A Cam Girl'
