Sydney Sweeney has hit back at a Hollywood producer who said she “can’t act” and is “not pretty”, calling her comments “sad” and “shameful”.
The 26-year-old actress, who has starred in hits such as White Lotus and Euphoria, is currently a hot property in Los Angeles, most recently producing and starring in the indie horror film Immaculate – one of three features she has released in the last six months.
However, the Emmy-nominated actress attracted negative attention from veteran producer Carol Baum, who specifically referenced Sweeney after a film screening, asking the audience, “She’s not pretty, she doesn’t know play. Why is she so sexy?
Baum, who has produced more than 30 films including Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Father Of The Bride, was speaking in front of a live audience with New York Times film critic Janet Maslin at an event in Pleasantville, New York , after a screening of his 1988 film Dead Ringers, starring Jeremy Irons.
Responding to the comments, a representative for Sweeney told Sky News: “How sad that a woman in a position to share her expertise and experience would instead choose to attack another woman.
“If this is what she has learned over her decades in the industry and feels it is appropriate to teach her students, that is shameful.
“Unfairly denigrating a fellow producer says a lot about Ms. Baum’s character.”
Baum’s comments, reported in Variety, were: “There’s an actress that everyone loves now: Sydney Sweeney. I don’t understand Sydney Sweeney. I was watching the Sydney Sweeney movie on the plane. [Anyone But You] because I wanted to watch it.
“I wanted to know who she is and why everyone is talking about her. I watched this unwatchable movie – sorry to the people who love this… romantic comedy where they hate each other.”
“She’s not pretty, she doesn’t know how to play”
Baum, who also teaches at the University of Southern California, continued: “I told my class, ‘Explain this girl to me. She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so sexy?’
“Nobody had an answer. But then the question came up: ‘Well, if you could get your movie made because she was in it, would you?’…
“That’s a very difficult question to answer because we all want the movie to be made, and who doesn’t have the green light? I don’t know anyone. Your job is to make the movie.”
Rom com Anybody But You, which also stars actor Glen Powell, was a surprise hit grossing £218 million (£175 million) at the worldwide box office.
“IT’S unwatchable”
Journalist Maslin later referenced the discussion on Twitter, writing: “THIS IS unwatchable. Carol Baum said this after screening Dead Ringers at the Jacob Burns Film Center and she mentioned seeing Anybody But You on a plane.
Maslin did not directly mention Baum’s comments about Sweeney’s appearance or acting.
Baum has since expressed “regret” for his comments, according to US celebrity gossip site TMZ.
Sky News has contacted Carol Baum for comment.