Sydney Sweeney hits back at body shamers who say she needs to ‘go back to the gym’

Sydney Sweeney reads the comments. She takes them in stride.

The Euphoria actress, 27, took to Instagram on Friday for sharing a video with a series of hateful comments about her body. The comments, apparently stemming from recent paparazzi photos of Sweeney outside her home in a bikini, called Everyone but you star everything from “pretty creepy” to “chunky” and “definitely not supermodel material.” One commentator also claimed that Sweeney needed to “hit the gym” more often.

The last comment is ironic since right after the comments she posted pictures and videos of herself doing just that. Sweeney shared photos of her pushing tires, pumping iron and boxing in a ring – as well as showing off impressive muscle gains in the mirror.

Sweeney’s industry peers rushed to her defense. Riverdale alum Lili Reinhart commented on the post, “It’s always crazy to see people out in public like s*** with comments like that. You look incredible and your dedication to your project is very inspiring.”

Sweeney’s intense routine is part of training for her upcoming role in David Michôd’s new film, in which she portrays ’90s boxing icon Christy Martin. It’s a transformational role that Sweeney has said she’s proud to take on.

“I have been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman – a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring,” Sweeney wrote on Instagram in October and shows photos of her on set. “Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength and hope, and I am honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with all of you.”

In a May interview with Deadline, she described the role as “physically and emotionally demanding” but said she was excited to “challenge” herself.

This isn’t the first time Sweeney has called out online critics of her looks. In May 2021, the two-time Emmy nominee posted a video of herself on Instagram after she found out she was “trending on Twitter … for being ugly.”

“I know everybody says, ‘You can’t read things’ and ‘You shouldn’t read things,’ but like, I’m a *** person,” she said through tears. “I think it’s very important for people to see how words actually affect people.”

Earlier this year, Sweeney also responded through his representatives to criticism from film producer Carol Baum, who said that Reality The actress was “not pretty” and “can’t act”. Sweeney’s representatives responded at the time: “How sad that a woman capable of sharing her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman.”