Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Christy’ flops at box office amid fallout from American Eagle controversy

Sydney Sweeney’s latest biographical drama Christy has failed to pack a punch at the box office, marking a disappointing weekend for the Euphoria star.

The film, in which Sweeney portrays Hall of Fame boxer Christy Martin, grossed only $1.3 million from 2,011 theaters, averaging a meager $649 per location, according to The Wrap. With such figures, Christy now ranks among the top 12 worst openings ever for a movie released on more than 2,000 screens, Box Office Mojo reported.

Despite earning a respectable 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the sports biopic failed to attract audiences — a setback that arrives just months after Sweeney found herself at the center of a major cultural controversy involving American Eagle.

Earlier this year, the actress sparked heated debate over an ad campaign that featured the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” Critics accused the clothing brand of promoting racially charged undertones, while supporters — including former President Donald Trump — defended the actress and the brand for what they called “harmless wordplay.”

In a recent interview with GQ, Sweeney, 28, expressed disbelief at how far the backlash went. “I did a jean ad,” she said. “The reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. I wear them every day.”

Christy also marks the first U.S. distribution project for Black Bear Pictures, the studio behind acclaimed films such as The Imitation Game (2014) and Mudbound (2017). The studio’s move into distribution appears rocky, as Christy’s weak opening now raises concerns about its commercial strategy.

Still, Sweeney has shown unwavering pride in her work. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she shared behind-the-scenes photos from filming, calling the experience “one that will stay in my heart forever.” She revealed that her dedication to realism during fight scenes led to real injuries — including a bloody nose and a concussion.

“When you watch those fights, we were actually hitting each other,” she told The Sun. “I said, ‘I want you to hit me — and I’ll hit you.’ We were getting bloody noses, knocking each other out. It was all real.”

Whether Christy finds redemption through streaming or word of mouth remains to be seen, but for now, Sydney Sweeney’s knockout performance hasn’t translated into box office gold.