Christy Martin speaks out as Sydney Sweeney is blamed for film’s spectacular failure
The real-life subject of Sydney Sweeney’s new movie is speaking out on behalf of the “Euphoria” actor following criticism of his performance.
On Wednesday, former professional boxer Christy Martin shared a photo of her and Sweeney on the set of “Christy,” which hit theaters last week.
“I have always been a fighter. My life reflected that in every way and now I fight for others,” Martin wrote in the caption. “The last few days I’ve seen some people attack my friend Sydney Sweeney. Not only did Syd work hard for this movie, she worked hard for me. For my story. For so many others who suffer in silence.”
He continued by noting, “So I want to make it clear who Syd is. She is my friend and ally!”
Martin’s post came a day after actress Ruby Rose, best known for Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black,” criticized Martin’s portrayal of Sweeney in “Christy” and acknowledged that she herself was once linked to the biopic.
Michael Buckner via Getty Images
“They all had experience with the core material. Most of us were really gay. “It’s part of why I continued acting.” Rose wrote in Threads. “For their PR to talk about the failure and say the SS did it for the ‘people’. None of the ‘people’ want to see someone who hates them parading around pretending to be us.”
Addressing Sweeney directly, he continued: “You’re a jerk and you ruined the movie. Period. Christy deserved better.”
Directed by David Michôd, “Christy” details Martin’s astonishing rise in the world of women’s boxing in the ’90s. The film does not shy away from the queer athlete’s sexuality, as well as her experiences with addiction and domestic violence, especially in her marriage to her husband and trainer Jim Martin, played by Ben Foster.
Although “Christy” earned mostly positive reviews upon its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, the film grossed only $1.3 million at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend. Many outlets suggested that the film’s lackluster performance was the result of a persistent reaction to Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle advertising campaign, introduced in July, as well as his political views.
Sweeney, however, shrugged off the criticism and insisted that she is “deeply proud” of her performance in “Christy.”
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“We all signed on for this movie with the belief that Christy’s story could save lives,” he wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Thank you to everyone who saw, felt, believed and will believe this story for years to come. If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded.”