Sydney Sweeney lit up the screen before Game 4 of the World Series Tuesday night — but not everyone was cheering. As the Anyone But You star appeared in a glossy pre-recorded Fox intro hyping up the matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, fans in the stands and online were quick to turn up the heat, but not in the way producers expected.
Decked out in a red minidress with matching high heels, Sydney delivered the following monologue: "Given the setting, it would be appropriate to dust the story in movie magic, right? Why not romanticize a bit? Why not roll out the red carpet for our guests and place their names exactly where they belong? High above the streets in shining lights. Why not? Because the truth is, chasing this dream isn't glamorous. It's not perfect, or effortless... It's over 170 games. It's dog days, summer days and rainy days. It's buses at midnight and flights that land when the sun's already up. Winning, real winning, isn’t polished. It’s bruised, it’s messy, it’s imperfect. It’s everything you can’t fake. It’s earned. It’s beautiful all on its own... Welcome to Game Four of the World Series on Fox."
Instead of warming hearts, the segment set off a wildfire of backlash on social media. Baseball loyalists accused the network of “Hollywood-izing” their big night, with some calling the intro “tone-deaf” and “too much movie trailer, not enough baseball."
Sydney was in the stands watching the game, seated next to Christy Martin, the boxer she plays in the biopic Christy.
By midgame, #SydneySweeney was trending — with fans claiming she’d stolen the spotlight from the players before the first pitch. One X user commented, "Sydney Sweeney ad for the world series? Who invited you."
However, some appreciated her appearance, commenting on X, "Sydney Sweeney is the best part of the World Series honestly," while another stated, "Sydney Sweeney introducing Game 4 of the World Series might be the highlight of my year."
Sydney seemed unfazed by the chaos. Sources close to the star said she was "honored" to kick off such an iconic event and wasn’t paying attention to the noise. Neither were the Toronto Blue Jays, who won the game, tying the series at 2-2.
Christy opens in theaters November 7. Click here for showtimes. ~Alexandra Heilbron