Sydney Sweeney’s bold move to promote her rumored lingerie brand by decorating the iconic Hollywood Sign with bras has ignited a major controversy, as the landmark’s governing body confirms the stunt was completely unauthorized, potentially exposing the actress to legal action for trespassing and vandalism.
The line between audacious marketing and a legal violation has never been clearer for Sydney Sweeney. The Euphoria star is facing intense backlash and potential legal trouble after a publicity stunt for her upcoming lingerie brand involved illegally decorating the world-famous Hollywood Sign, a move the landmark’s official custodians have condemned as a violation of their intellectual property rights.
TMZ reported on January 26 that Sweeney, 28, was captured on video climbing a portion of the California landmark at night. Accompanied by a crew, she strung together bras to decorate the sign, a move widely interpreted as a promotional campaign for her rumored lingerie line. The stunt, while visually striking for its boldness, has placed Sweeney on a collision course with the entity that controls the sign’s image.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which owns the intellectual property rights to the Hollywood Sign’s image, issued a firm statement in response to the incident. Steve Nissen, the organization’s president and CEO, confirmed to PEOPLE that they “did not grant a license or permission of any kind to the production involving Sydney Sweeney as reported by TMZ, nor did anyone seek a license or permission from the Chamber for that production.”
“Anyone intending to use and/or access the Hollywood Sign for commercial purposes must obtain a license or permission from the Hollywood Chamber to do so,” Nissen added, making it unequivocally clear that Sweeney’s production was “not authorized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce nor did we have prior knowledge of it.”
While TMZ noted that Sweeney’s team did secure a permit from FilmLA, which handles permits for film and commercial shoots in Los Angeles, this does not override the exclusive commercial licensing rights held by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The lack of proper authorization from the Chamber raises serious legal questions, with potential consequences including trespassing and vandalism charges.
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This controversy is not the first time Sweeney has faced public scrutiny for a promotional campaign. Last summer, her American Eagle jeans ad sparked accusations of being racially charged, with critics claiming the word “jeans” was used as a play on “genes,” hinting at genetic superiority. In an interview with PEOPLE months after the ad’s release, Sweeney addressed the backlash directly.
“I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” she said. “I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.” The Emmy-nominated actress, who described herself as someone who “leads with kindness,” explained that her silence had only “widened the divide,” prompting her to speak out in the hopes of focusing on “what connects us instead of what divides us.”
As the fallout from her latest stunt unfolds, Sweeney’s management has not yet responded to requests for comment. The incident highlights the increasingly precarious balance celebrities and brands must strike between generating viral buzz and respecting legal boundaries and public landmarks. For Sweeney, this controversy arrives just as she appears to be expanding her brand portfolio, raising the stakes for how her future marketing endeavors are perceived by the public and the law.
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