Sydney Sweeney 'Mistreated'? Inside the Brutal Backlash — and How the Hollywood Bombshell Hit Back

Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the centre of a swirling mix of admiration and spite this year yet again. The Hollywood bombshell who rose out of shows like Euphoria into headline grabbing campaigns and a major transformation for the upcoming biopic Christy, she has simultaneously dealt with an unrelenting public gaze and criticism. According to a recent source, Sweeney endured mistreatment in her personal past, and the preparation for her role as boxing icon Christy Martin helped give her both the mindset and the physical grit to face down the massive backlash.

From the early days of her breakout role to her latest red carpet appearances, Sweeney has been subject to intense commentary about her body, her image and her choices. A source told Page Six that before this period she 'went through a lot with someone in her past who mistreated her.' They added, 'this person used her and took advantage of her — including financially.'

Behind-the-scenes vulnerability

That behind-the-scenes vulnerability helps explain why she resonates so powerfully in her new role, and why she has responded so forcefully to critics. At the 2025 Variety Power of Women event she wore a sheer dress that reignited debate about her appearance and what it says about her message. With so much trolling and hate against her, she still seems to not back down and continues to show her resilience to haters.

Sydney Sweeney in 'Christy'

It seems like with Christy, Sweeney took on more than an acting job as she embraced a physical and emotional metamorphosis. The film retraces the journey of Christy Martin from small town beginnings to the world stage of boxing, including her survival of a brutal domestic violence incident. Moreover, Sweeney has spoken of how the role demanded long hours in the gym, boxing training and weight gain to embody Martin's toughness as she revealed in an interview,

'I try to lose myself completely for a role, so I try not to carry any of my own stuff into their life. But I honestly learned so much from Christy that I applied to myself.'

'Every morning I would weight train for an hour, then I would go and do boxing for three hours, and then another hour of weight training at night. I did that every single day for three months, with a nutritionist, so eating a bunch of food and protein shakes and supplements. I, in that span of time, gained, like, 35 lbs,' she added.

However, beyond the physical, a source told Page Six that portraying Martin gave Sweeney the strength to remind herself of who she is and what she stands for. In other words, the cinematic transformation became a mirror for personal empowerment for the Hollywood bombshell.

How Sydney Sweeney is firing back at critics

Rather than shrinking from criticism, Sweeney appears to be using it as fuel. By allegedly revisiting her past where she had experienced 'mistreatment', whether in relationships or professional settings, she seems resolved to set boundaries and claim her worth. A source said the role helped her remind herself who she is. She has discussed how she was underpaid in earlier phases of her career and now is commanding far higher fees for her craft as she revealed in an earlier interview,

'They don't pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals,' Sydney added. 'The established stars still get paid, but I have to give 5 percent to my lawyer, 10 percent to my agents, 3 percent or something like that to my business manager. I have to pay my publicist every month, and that's more than my mortgage.'

At the same time, despite the headlines and the backlash whether it be about her Bath Water Soap, her silver sheer dress, her American Eagle ad or even her movie roles, Sweeney is emerging as one of Hollywood's most talk-about young actress.