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For a moment, Sydney Sweeney seemed unstoppable. With back-to-back Emmy nominations for HBO’s Euphoria and The White Lotus and box-office success with Will Gluck’s Anyone But You, the 28-year-old actor had the hallmarks of a star on the rise: solid acting chops, brand collaborations with Armani and Miu Miu, and an online fan base that catapulted her into the cultural spotlight. But, in recent times, that same spotlight has turned unforgiving, casting long shadows over a career now embroiled in controversy, political fallout, and a string of commercial failures. In the wake of her latest film Christy opening to dismal box-office numbers, her reported ties to the Republican Party, and a rumored rift with former co-star Zendaya, the question being asked in industry circles is whether Sydney Sweeney’s once-glittering Hollywood career can recover, and why this question tends to befall women in the public eye rather than men. Christy, a gritty biopic of boxer Christy Martin, opened to just $1.3 million across more than 2,000 theaters—one of the worst openings on record. The public frenzy following Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign has continued to follow her—resurfacing in a GQ interview and leading to a new flurry of divisive comments due to her reluctance to speak in depth on the ad and how it impacted many viewers. PR strategist Amore Philip told Newsweek that Sydney Sweeney is not in the middle of a career collapse, but is simply overdue for a reset. “Sweeney’s current situation isn’t a career crisis; it’s a brand recalibration, I would say,” said Philip, founder and CEO of Apples & Oranges Public Relations in New York. “Every breakout star eventually faces a moment when public perception catches up to their level of exposure, and that’s where she finds herself now.” That moment has arrived, and it is defining the trajectory of one of Gen Z’s most-watched celebrities. Newsweek reached out to Sydney Sweeney’s public relations team via email on Tuesday for comment. From ‘Euphoria’ to Everywhere Sweeney’s name became synonymous with HBO’s hit teen drama Euphoria, where she played Cassandra “Cassie” Howard. Her performance, which saw her struggle through unrequited love for her best friend’s boyfriend, drew critical acclaim. Sweeney followed that success with another well-received role in HBO’s The White Lotus, positioning herself alongside fellow breakout stars from the teen drama Euphoria; these included Zendaya, who had an executive-producer role on the show, Maude Apatow, and Hollywood’s current go-to leading man, Jacob Elordi. With that early momentum, Sweeney landed major brand deals and began making the leap to feature films. Her 2023 romantic comedy Anyone But You was a box-office success, but the films that followed took a different turn. Flop After Flop Sweeney’s 2024 superhero feature, Madame Web, bombed with critics and audiences alike, grossing just over $100 million globally on a production budget of around the same figure. Despite Christy’s similar failure to pull in numbers at cinemas, Sweeney remains fiercely proud of the project. “This experience has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” she wrote on Instagram following the release. “This film stands for survival, courage, and hope. Through our campaigns, we’ve helped raise awareness for so many affected by domestic violence…If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded.” File photo: Sydney Sweeney poses at the “Christy” premier at TCL Chinese Theatre on October 25, 2025 in Hollywood, California. The actor’s impassioned support of the film stands in stark contrast to its reception. Reviews were middling and audience turnout sparse, despite the project’s noble message. “We don’t always just make art for numbers,” Sweeney wrote. “We make it for impact.” Ryan McCormick, co-founder and media relations specialist at Goldman McCormick, does not find Sweeney’s recent box-office failings too worrisome. “Box-office underperformance isn’t career-ending for A-listers—Johnny Depp, Leo DiCaprio, and Charlize Theron have all weathered similar storms,” McCormick told Newsweek. “Is the failure of Christy a crisis for Sweeney? In the short term, it seems like a time to worry, but, from a wider PR perspective, I wouldn’t say there’s anything to be concerned about. “Movies don’t connect with audiences for a number of reasons,” McCormick added. Jeans, Genes and Politics Earlier this year, Sweeney fronted a campaign for American Eagle Outfitters under the slogan, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” In the short ad, she delivered a voice-over that many interpreted as playing on the pun between ̶...
