Sydney Sweeney Isn't Phased By What People Think Of Her Racy Onscreen Persona

While she may be perceived as a typical Hollywood blonde, Sydney Sweeney isn't phased by what people think of her racy onscreen persona. Rising to fame through her controversial role in HBO's "Euphoria," Sweeney was featured in a music video for The Rolling Stones' "Angry" in September 2023, sparking a frenzy on the Internet due to her spicy performance.

Donning a leather ensemble, including a corset and star-cut-out pants, Sweeney tossed her long blonde locks in the back of a vintage convertible while being driven around the streets of Los Angeles. Despite the iconic image, social media users couldn't help but publicly ponder why Sweeney keeps showing her body off. After Sweeney shared a snippet of the music video on her Instagram, some felt the need to criticize her and called out Hollywood for perpetuating objectification. "Nothing new. Old creeps pretending not to be old creeps and women just behaving as a piece of meat," one person wrote, while another asked, "Aren't you tired [of] being sexualized by Hollywood?"

As haters continue to hate, Sweeney is having the time of her life, because, for the actor, the Rolling Stones gig was the pinnacle of her career. During an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Mark," Sweeney shared that she was over the moon when she got the offer, calling it the coolest thing she's ever done.

Not only does Sydney Sweeney not care what you think of her, but she's completely secure in the way she chooses to express herself. When speaking to Glamour about the social media backlash she got for the Rolling Stones appearance, the actor shared, "I felt hot. I picked my own outfit out of racks and racks of clothes. I felt so good in it." She explained, "I find empowerment through embracing the body that I have. That's sexy and strong, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it." And she's right. It appears that social media keeps forgetting what feminism is about, and it's definitely not making women feel bad for loving and enjoying their bodies.

Other social media users took a different approach, calling Sweeney out for promoting her work on Instagram instead of posting about pressing world issues to her 16 million followers. However, Sweeney is much more than her online activity because she acts, literally and figuratively, instead of just posting.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Sweeney shared her goal of eradicating Hollywood's double standards when it comes to on-screen nudity, implementing the change herself. The actor has delved into the realm of nude scenes more than once, and being shamed for the decision has never stopped her. Despite encountering the same treatment for her Rolling Stones performance, she took one step in the right direction — she was a woman, unapologetically herself.

The truth is, Sydney Sweeney holds all of the cards when it comes to her body and self-image. While leaving hateful comments under a successful woman's social media post is, unfortunately, nothing new, Sweeney doesn't let it get to her. "For me, people don't have the full story; they see a picture, and that is it," the "White Lotus" actor said during an appearance on TheWrap's "UnWrapped" podcast, adding, "So you just got to kind of take it." While her racy onscreen persona persists in the realm of social media, Sweeney's real-life story is diametrically opposite.

In an interview with GQ UK, Sweeney shared that she was ashamed of her body when she was younger. "I think that I put on this weird persona other people had of me because of my body," she explained. Still, Sweeney's engaging personality wasn't able to save her from the relentless world of social media. She reflected on the experience of getting overly sexualized in real life after Cassie, her "Euphoria" character, went through the same thing on the hit HBO show. "It got to the point where they were tagging my family [in the nude screenshots]," the actor said, adding, "It's completely disgusting and unfair."

Despite the public scrutiny she was subjected to, Sweeney hasn't lost her sense of humor. "The biggest misconception about me is that I'm a dumb blonde with big tits. I'm naturally brunette," she quipped when speaking with Glamour.