Sydney Sweeney's lingerie ad featuring child movie characters draws criticism

Actress Sydney Sweeney promoted the latest collection of her Syrn lingerie line with a 30-second Instagram video released last week, timed for the Halloween and Christmas shopping periods. In the clip, Sweeney portrayed figures from holiday movies, including a recreation of the young protagonist from Home Alone and the character Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, wearing sleepwear and a short top.

Viewers noted that the original actors for those roles were under ten years old when the films were made, prompting a discussion in the video’s comment section. Some users expressed concern that the ad sexualised characters intended for children, while others defended the actress and praised the holiday-themed lingerie.

The advertisement also incorporated references to Halloween titles such as The Corpse Bride. This follows previous controversies surrounding Sweeney’s advertising work, including a recent nude campaign for betting platform Novig that attracted criticism from Australian athletes, and an earlier American Eagle jeans commercial that was debated for its messaging.

"I thought that it was a kick in the face to any woman that took sports seriously," Olympian Ariarne Titmus said on a recent podcast.

Sweeney has continued to release additional promotional material for the Novig campaign, featuring minimal clothing and sports equipment.