Megyn Kelly sticks up for Sydney Sweeney amid backlash to risqu ads, blames furor on GOP ties
Megyn Kelly ripped the backlash against Sydney Sweeney’s racy new sports prediction-market ad — arguing the actress is being singled out because she is a registered Republican.The former Fox News host blasted critics of Sweeney’s nearly nude campaign for sports prediction market Novig, which has drawn fire from several prominent female athletes who say the provocative spot demeans women in sports.“I don’t get it,” Kelly said Wednesday on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” arguing that advertisers have long used sex appeal to market products to predominantly male sports audiences.“Since the dawn of time, we’ve been selling sports to men by using sexy women in ads that air during the sporting events, in the bars where they watch the sporting events, in products around the sporting events,” Kelly said.“Men tend to like sports and beer and sexy women, and this is not particularly controversial — until now, until this year, until Sydney Sweeney is the woman, I guess, who is a registered Republican and did the controversial jeans ad, so she must be punished.”Kelly was referring to American Eagle’s recent “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” ad campaign, which drew criticism from wokesters.Sweeney’s Florida voter registration has been reported as Republican, dating to June 2024, though the actress has not publicly endorsed President Trump or another political candidate.In the latest ad campaign, the 29-year-old “Euphoria” star appears seductively covered just by sporting equipment in Novig’s “Just Sports” campaign, which launched Sept.9.Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder in the Novig, according to the company.She has said she was involved in creative discussions from the beginning and that she does not like to “just put my face on something.”The campaign has sparked a fierce response from female athletes, including British sprinter Amy Hunt and former US gymnast Gracie Kramer.Kramer posted a highlight reel of herself compet...