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Sydney Sweeney has spoken out about the harassment she receives from paparazzi, revealing photographers recently refused to leave her home while demanding she came outside in a bikini.
The 27-year-old actor is best known for her starring roles in Euphoria, The White Lotus and Anyone but You. But as her fame has skyrocketed, so too has the internet’s obsession with her body.
In a new interview with Glamour, Sweeney recounted an incident in which a group of photographers stood outside her Florida home, yelling at her family who were standing outside.
“They said, ‘If you tell her to just come outside in a bikini, I’ll take pictures and then I’ll leave you alone,’” she said.
Sweeney further addressed online rumors that she calls the paparazzi on herself.
“Why would I call the paparazzi to take pictures of me at my own house when my baby cousins and family are there and I’m in my backyard? Why would I ever want that?” she asked incredulously.
“I have pictures of these guys in kayaks hiding in bushes in the ocean. They got there at 8am and wouldn’t leave until 4pm. I should be able to be in my home and feel comfortable and safe.”
Sweeney explained that the publication of these private images pose a risk to her safety.
“When those photos go out, then my actual safety is at risk,” she said. “Everyone knows where I am. Now there’s boats that go by, and I literally hear them say, ‘This is Sydney Sweeney’s house.’ It becomes a star tour in my front yard.”
Earlier this year, the Immaculate actor clapped back at lewd comments about her physical appearance.
In a carousel of pictures posted to Instagram in May, she could be seen wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words: “Sorry for having great t**s.”
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Sweeney’s post came shortly after veteran Hollywood producer Carol Baum criticized her looks and her acting ability while at an event in Pleasantville, New York.
“There’s an actress who everybody loves now: Sydney Sweeney. I don’t get Sydney Sweeney. I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeney’s movie [Anyone but You] because I wanted to watch it,” she told the crowd.
“I said to my class, ‘Explain this girl to me. She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so hot?’ Nobody had an answer.”
Sweeney later issued a fiery response through her representative, saying: “How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman.
“If that’s what she’s learned in her decades in the industry and feels is appropriate to teach to her students, that’s shameful. To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms Baum’s character.”
