Actress Sydney Sweeney is certainly no stranger to life in the spotlight, and now she has everyone talking yet again.
The 28-year-old accomplished actress has rocketed to massive stardom in recent years, becoming well known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus. Most recently, she starred in the box office smash hit, The Housemaid, released on December 19. The film brought in $133 million in just two-and-a-half weeks.
Sweeney is now creating online buzz for her newly released cover photoshoot for W Magazine. In the cover photo, the actress was nude with the exception of metallic gold body paint covering her from head to toe. Her hair was styled in a blonde, Old Hollywood-inspired bob.
While the photoshoot may be considered somewhat controversial, it’s not the first of its kind that W Magazine has published. Back in November 2010, Kim Kardashian infamously posed on the cover in a similarly inspired look, covered in silver body paint. Kardashian would later state that she regretted the photoshoot, claiming she had not expected it to be as revealing as it ultimately was.
Sweeney, however, appears proud of the cover photo. She reposted the image to her personal Instagram page, writing, “W Volume One: The Best Performances Issue @wmag shot by the incredible @tyronelebon.”
Of course, it’s not surprising that the photoshoot had many social media users divided. While many praised Sweeney, others filled the comments to criticize W Magazine for publishing what some deemed a provocative image.
“I didn’t think @wmag could go lower than the Kardashians, but here we are,” wrote one person.
“When, oh when, will we get a 'dislike' option for posts??,” another person commented.
This is not the first time that Sweeney has experienced online backlash. In 2025, she infamously starred in a controversial American Eagle jeans advertisement that led to a major nationwide cultural debate.