To quote Sydney Sweeney’s Euphoria character, she’s “never, ever been happier” — and that means body-shaming comments won’t faze her.
“I see it, and I just can’t allow myself to have a reaction,” Sweeney told Variety in March 2024. “I don’t know how to explain it; I’m still trying to figure it out myself. People feel connected and free to be able to speak about me in whatever way they want because they believe that I’ve signed my life away.”
She added, “It’s this weird relationship that people have with me that I have no control or say over.”
The Anyone But You star, however, still remembers that she operates on “a human level” first, aside from being solely an actress. Part of that mindset includes living her best life.
In December 2024, she was photographed in a lavender bikini, which prompted unprovoked comments about her weight. She swiftly clapped back, sharing the worst ones on her Instagram in a montage of her workout routine. (Sweeney had been bulking up to play boxer Christy Martin in a biopic.)
Suffice it to say, Sweeney has become one of Us Weekly’s favorite body positive icons. Scroll before for more of her tips and tricks:
Finding ‘Power in My Femininity’
While speaking with Variety in August 2023, Sweeney reiterated that she’s proud of who she is.
“I find power in my femininity,” she stressed. “I use my brain, and I use everything that I’m learning every single day in this industry as my power. Knowledge is everything.”
A Confident Queen
In September 2023, Sweeney told Women’s Health that she tries to be her own role model.
“I look up to the older version of myself,” she said. “When I was 10, I looked up to the 25-year-old version of myself, and now I look up to my 50-year-old version. I hope I make the decisions she would be proud of.”
And yes, Sweeney is proud of where she’s gotten thus far.
“Whenever a new challenge presents itself and I’m not scared to push myself to try, that’s when I’m really proud of who I am,” she noted. “I know that my body can keep going — it’s more just that mental challenge to push myself through. I take that skill into skiing, into acting, into anything I do, because it’s always more mental than physical. Of course, you have to train, but it’s mind over matter at the end of the day.”
Accepting Her Body
Growing up, Sweeney would cover up her body underneath baggy clothes.
“When I was in high school, I used to feel uncomfortable about how big my boobs were,” she told Glamour UK in December 2023. “I used to say that when I turned 18, I was going to get a boob job to make them smaller. My mom told me, ‘Don’t do it. You’ll regret it in college.’ And I’m so glad I didn’t. I like them. They’re my best friends.”
Eventually, Sweeney learned that her mother, Lisa, was right (as so many moms are!) about the mindset.
“Once I became more confident with myself, [it changed]. I want to show girls that it’s amazing and beautiful and empowering to have the bodies that we have,” the actress explained. “Everybody’s body is beautiful. When you are confident and you’re happy within, it really shows to other people. … Flaunt what you got. Own it. Love them.”
She’s ‘Unapologetically Myself’
“I’m always really proud to be very unapologetically myself and the director of my own life,” Sweeney told People in August 2024, noting she uses fashion to “embrace different sides” of her personality.
She continued, “Some days, I might feel very girly, some days, I might feel edgy. Others, I might feel like I want to be more laid-back. It’s a way of being able to express those different sides of how I feel or who I am.”
It’s All About Balance
Sweeney also prioritizes her physical and mental well-being.
“It’s definitely an ongoing challenge and journey that I’m trying to find within myself, and every day poses its own challenges,” she told Real Simple in September 2024. “I’m a firm believer in balance in every aspect of life. … I like to stay constantly going — it fuels me and makes me really happy.”
Training Hard
Sweeney overhauled her workout regimen to portray former pro boxer Christy Martin on the big screen.
“Over the past few months, I’ve been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman — a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring,” Sweeney wrote via Instagram in October 2024. “Her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I’m honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all.”
Three months later, Sweeney was criticized by online trolls for putting on weight. She clapped back by editing together a video of the mean comments and footage from her workout, captioning it, “Christy Martin Strong.”
