Megyn Kelly sticks up for Sydney Sweeney amid backlash to risqué ads, blames furor on GOP ties

Nypost · Sep 24, 2026 · 598 words · By Ariel Zilber

Political polarization Gender Representation in Advertising

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What to know about Political polarization

Megyn Kelly sticks up for Sydney Sweeney amid backlash to risqué ads, blames furor on GOP ties See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Megyn Kelly sticks up for Sydney Sweeney amid backlash to risqué ads, blames furor on GOP ties See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

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.

Common ground

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.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Causal Oversimplification: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political polarization story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that critics of Sweeney’s nearly nude campaign for sports prediction market Novig?
How does this story connect Political polarization with Gender Representation in Advertising over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/09/24/media/megyn-kelly-sticks-up-for-sydney-sweeney-ami…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Causal Oversimplification 70% confidence

Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.

Why it matters: Recognizing causal oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “critics of Sweeney’s nearly nude campaign for sports prediction market Novig”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources confirm that Sydney Sweeney appeared in a nearly nude/nude advertisement for the sports prediction market Novig.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sydney Sweeney holds equity in sports prediction market Novig and helped create its nearly nude campaign, making her both an author of the image and the object of the gaze it solicits.
https://www.theleftchapter.com/post/sydney-sweeney-s-novig-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — Sydney Sweeney's nude advertisement for sports prediction market Novig has ignited an Olympic backlash.
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/options/articles/sydney-sw…

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web search NEUTRAL — HBO’s Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney appeared nude in an advertisement for the sports trading app Novig.
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/09/sydney-sw…

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Claim 2: “Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder in the Novig, according to the company.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Global Gambling News and Novig's own announcements, confirm she is a strategic partner and equity holder.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 10, 2026 · US actress Sydney Sweeney has become an equity holder and strategic partner in Novig as the sports prediction platform launches its first national advertising campaign.
https://globalgamblingnews.com/sydney-sweeney-takes-equity-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 9, 2026 · “The campaign was about embracing a fun idea,” said Sweeney, who also joins Novig as a strategic partner and equity holder. “The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focu…
https://novig.com/blog/sydney-sweeney-teams-up-with-novig-fo…

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 20, 2026 · Sydney Sweeney reportedly helped shape Novig's 'Just Sports' campaign as an equity holder, with the company saying she drove much of its visuals, messaging and wider creative direction.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sydney-sweeney-novig-sports-ad-equ…

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Claim 3: “Hunt similarly pushed back on the ad after competing, saying, “Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

While other sources confirm Amy Hunt criticized the ad, the specific quote 'Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears' was not found in the provided evidence.

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Claim 4: “Sweeney’s Florida voter registration has been reported as Republican, dating to June 2024”

CORROBORATED

Voter registration records from the Florida Department of State, reviewed by Newsweek and other media outlets, confirm she has been a registered Republican since June 14, 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the 28 U.S. representatives from the State of Florida, one from each of the state's cong…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Re…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in the South Side Flats neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 19…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Eagle_Outfitters

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sydney Bernice Sweeney (born September 12, 1997) is an American actress. She gained early recognition for her roles in the series Everything Sucks!, The Handmaid's Tale, and Sharp Objects in 2018. She…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Sweeney

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Sydney Sweeney’s racy new sports prediction-market ad — arguing the actress is being singled out because she is a registered Republican.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including Newsweek and BuzzFeed, report that Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican in Florida.

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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 4, 2025 · Sydney Sweeney has been registered as a Republican Party member in Florida since June 2024, according to publicly available voter registration records reviewed by Newsweek and multiple n…
https://www.newsweek.com/sydney-sweeney-registered-republica…

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web search NEUTRAL — U.S. President Donald Trump didn't know that celebrity Sydney Sweeney was a registered Republican. But now that he does, he told media in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that he liked a recent ad for a popul…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6STxKLDCdI

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web search NEUTRAL — Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican.According to publicly available voter registration records that BuzzFeed viewed, Sydney has been registered to the Republican Party of Florida since June 2024…
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/yes-sydney-swee…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 6: “The campaign has sparked a fierce response from female athletes, including British sprinter Amy Hunt and former US gymnast Gracie Kramer.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Amy Hunt and Gracie Kramer criticized the Novig advertisement.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 1923 is an American neo-Western television series created by Taylor Sheridan that premiered on December 18, 2022, on Paramount+. The series serves as a prequel to Yellowstone (2018–2024), a sequel to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_(TV_series)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of American films that are scheduled for release in 2026. Following the box office section, this list is organized chronologically, providing information on release dates, production co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_films_of_2026

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mayim Chaya Bialik ( MY-im bee-AH-lik; born December 12, 1975) is an American actress and former game show host. From 1991 to 1995, she played the title character of the NBC sitcom Blossom. From 2010 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayim_Bialik

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Kelly was referring to American Eagle’s recent “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” ad campaign”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the existence of the American Eagle 'Great Jeans' campaign starring Sydney Sweeney.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Americana is a 2023 American crime thriller film written and directed by Tony Tost in his film debut. It stars Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Eric Dane, Zahn McClarnon, and Simon Rex. Wit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americana_(2023_film)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Kramer posted a highlight reel of herself competing with the message, “I don’t know what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe Gracie Kramer posting a supercut/highlight reel of her gymnastics to contrast with the Novig ad.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 14, 2026 · So, she took to social media to post her own version, a supercut of her competing as a gymnast. Kramer also wrote a scathing note to Novig and Sweeney, unhappy with their depiction of..…
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/former-gymnast-gracie-kram…

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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 14, 2026 · Gymnast Gracie Kramer voiced her opinion regarding an ad campaign by Novig’s Just Sports featuring Sydney Sweeney.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gracie-kramer-says-sydney-…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 9: “the 29-year-old “Euphoria” star appears seductively covered just by sporting equipment in Novig’s “Just Sports” campaign, which launched Sept. 9.”

CORROBORATED

Web sources confirm she is 29, the campaign is titled 'Just Sports', and it launched in September (specifically Sept 9).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amy Hunt (born 15 May 2002) is an English sprinter. She won the gold medal in the 100 metres, 200 metres, 4 × 100 metres relay, and 4 × 100 metres mixed relay at the 2026 European Championships, becom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Hunt

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web search NEUTRAL — Sydney Sweeney stars in the viral Novig “Just Sports” ad, the sports prediction market commercial that sparked widespread attention and debate in September 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCDOPlOpGRU

+ 2 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.