Sydney Sweeney slipped into anonymity last week, trading her signature platinum hair for a dark brown wig and denim shorts during a low-key outing at Santa Monica Pier. The transformation was so complete that fans didn’t recognize her — some even joked she looked like Hannah Montana. The actress credited her friend Jayde Emory Hafner for the disguise, capturing a full day of arcade games, rides, and chicken tenders in a series of photos and videos shared on Instagram.
It wasn’t just a fun break. The timing is sharp: Sweeney’s latest public appearance coincides with growing scrutiny over her role in a controversial ad campaign for Novig, a sports prediction platform where she holds an equity stake and is a strategic partner. The original commercial featured her draped in sports gear, strategically covering parts of her body while repeating "Sports", a move critics called sexualized and tone-deaf, especially given the platform’s focus on athletic outcomes.
Athletes including Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, boxer Skye Nicolson, and British sprinter Amy Hunt publicly criticized the ad, arguing it reduced female athletes to visual props. Instead of pulling back, Novig doubled down. In a follow-up spot released in October, Sweeney walks through an empty stadium in white underwear, addressing the online obsession with her outfit: "There are grown men making spreadsheets to bet on what color underwear I'm wearing. I mean, I'm flattered?"
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