Ruby Rose
Ruby Rose Ruby Rose/Instagram

Ruby Rose has launched a public attack on Sydney Sweeney after the biopic Christy, inspired by the life of boxing legend Christy Martin, recorded one of the weakest box office openings in recent years.

The film earned only $1.3 million in its debut weekend, ranking among the bottom tier of wide releases, according to Box Office Mojo.

Rose's criticism, shared on Threads, accused Sweeney of contributing to the film's failure and of misrepresenting the LGBTQ+ community, calling her a 'cretin' and saying the movie was 'ruined'.

'Christy' Struggles to Find an Audience

'Christy', released on 7 November across more than 2,000 theatres, earned only $1.3 million in its debut weekend, according to USA Today.

The film then ranked among the worst wide-release openings ever for over-2,000-theatre releases. Instead, it landed at No. 12 on the list of worst opening weekends for wide releases and No. 9 when excluding rereleases.

The film, which explores Martin's rise as a trailblazing female boxer and her survival of domestic violence, was promoted as a story of resilience and empowerment.

In interviews ahead of the release, Sweeney said she was 'proud' to tell Martin's story and that the project represented 'survival, courage, and hope'. On Instagram, she wrote that she believed Christy could 'save lives' and raise awareness about domestic violence.

Rose Accuses Sweeney of Hypocrisy

Rose, who is openly lesbian, took issue with both Sweeney's casting and her comments following the film's disappointing debut.

In her 10 November Threads post, the Orange Is the New Black actor revealed she was originally in talks to play a character named Cherry in an earlier version of the film.

'The original Christy Martin script was incredible. Life changing,' Rose wrote. 'I was attached to play Cherry. Everyone had experience with the core material. Most of us were actually gay. It's part of why I stayed in acting.'

She continued, 'For her PR to talk about it flopping and saying SS did it for the "people." None of "the people" want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us.'

Rose concluded her post with a direct insult: 'You're a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.'

Christy Martin Defends Sweeney's Portrayal

While Rose criticised Sweeney's involvement, Christy Martin shared a contrasting view. Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the former world champion boxer praised Sweeney's portrayal in Christy, describing her as 'awesome' for embracing a side of herself that audiences had never seen before.

Martin said that Sweeney 'got to be this totally different person that none of you expected'. She added that the actress 'wasn't the beautiful, sexy Sydney – she was the tough, rugged Christy in this movie, and I think it's awesome'.

Martin's remarks highlighted Sweeney's ability to shed her polished image and embody the grit and resilience of the real-life fighter's story.

Sweeney's Past Controversies Resurface

The dispute between Rose and Sweeney follows earlier controversies involving the Euphoria star.

In August, she faced backlash for a jeans advertisement with American Eagle that played on the pun between 'genes' and 'jeans'. Critics accused the ad of being tone-deaf, while Sweeney later told GQ that the reaction was 'surreal'.

Adding to the scrutiny, The Guardian reported that Sweeney was registered as a Republican voter in Florida months before Donald Trump's re-election, leading to debates about her political stance and her role in representing LGBTQ+ figures on screen.

Despite the controversies, Sweeney has continued to promote Christy, calling it the most 'impactful' project of her career.

Writer's pick