On November 7, Christy, the Sydney Sweeney-led biopic about Christy Martin, who in 2010 was stabbed, shot, and left for dead by her trainer and then-husband of 19 years, James, debuted with a dismal return. Though films of this size are not always projected to come away with a huge earning, Christy was a surprise for all the wrong reasons.
According to Box Office Mojo, Christy debuted at $1.3 million after its release, one of the worst all-time wide box office openings of a film its size. Sweeney took to social media to talk about how proud she was to be able to tell this story. However, that doesn’t mean much when you cannot stop talking about the controversy of a four-month-old ad.
Recently in a “Man of the Year” interview for GQ, Sweeney brushed off the criticism of the ad, which has garnered approval from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Entitled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” the ad was a short film that played on the words “jeans” and “genes.” Unsurprisingly, criticism at the implications of the ad was swift, with many echoing that the ad contained eugenicist language.
On Instagram, alongside a video of Sweeney talking about the ad, British celebrity photographer Misan Harriman said, “Presuming that you are not a white supremacist, at least say how horrified you were by how this campaign was amplified and celebrated by unrepentant racists who believe in eugenics.”
Fellow White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood was one of many comments on the post, with her response simply being the green, nauseous emoji. She was quick to receive praise, especially given their status as stars of the same series.
Sweeney said of the ad, “I did a jean ad…I mean, the reaction was definitely a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.”
Um…no one asked whether or not you liked jeans. People asked why you would do an ad that, even if unintentional, was incredibly tone deaf in its message. Not to mention why you would downplay it the way that you have.
There are, of course, various other reasons for the box office flop. Christy Martin is not exactly a household name, and Sweeney herself really isn’t a box office draw. However, many critics have praised her transformation and performance, and there are certainly similar male-led films with the same praise that did better on opening weekend.
We won’t know if the two things are related, but it is disappointing that a story that should be heralded is being overshadowed by controversy. Martin’s story is one of a true survivor. Not only was she the first woman who was signed to a promotional contract with boxing promoter Don King, she was also the first female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. From 1989 to the mid-2010s she competed, and in 2009 held the World Boxing Council female super welterweight title. In 2020, Martin was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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