“We don’t always just make art for numbers,” the actress wrote on Instagram.

Sydney Sweeney reacts to *Christy *having one of the worst opening weekends of all time

"We don't always just make art for numbers," the actress wrote on Instagram.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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November 10, 2025 2:20 p.m. ET

Sydney Sweeney in 'Christy'. Credit:

Black Bear Pictures

*Christy* just got knocked out before the end of the first round — but Sydney Sweeney is taking it in stride.

The actress, who plays the titular role in the boxing biopic based on the life of Christy Martin, is speaking out following the film's disappointing debut weekend. According to Box Office Mojo, *Christy*'s measly yield of $1.3 million at the domestic box office puts it among the top 12 worst openings for a new release on more than 2,000 screens. The list also includes three post-COVID-19 releases and two re-released titles.

"I am so deeply proud of this movie," Sweeney wrote in a Monday morning Instagram post, sharing a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot. "Proud of the film David [Michôd] made. Proud of the story we told. Proud to represent someone as strong and resilient as Christy Martin. This experience has been one of the greatest honors of my life."

She continued, "This film stands for survival, courage, and hope. Through our campaigns, we’ve helped raise awareness for so many affected by domestic violence. We all signed on to this film with the belief that Christy’s story could save lives."

Christy Martin and Sydney Sweeney attend the AFI premiere of 'Christy'.

LISA O'CONNOR/AFP via Getty

*Christy* tells the story of the groundbreaking professional boxer Christy Martin, who rose to fame in the '90s and became one of the most prominent female athletes in the sport with 49 wins, seven losses, and three draws across her career. Martin also made headlines due to turmoil in her personal life: The boxer married her coach Jim Martin in 1991, and he attempted to murder her in their home in 2010. He was ultimately found guilty of attempted murder in the second degree, and the athlete is now married to rival boxer Lisa Holewyne.

Praising the boxer who inspired the movie, Sweeney continued, "If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded. So yes I’m proud. Why? Because we don’t always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact. And Christy has been the most impactful project of my life. Thank you Christy. I love you."

'Americana' director defends Sydney Sweeney film, says it got 'gobbled up by the zeitgeist'

Why are people angry at Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans ad?

*Christy* ultimately debuted at 11th overall behind titles such as *Predator: Badlands*, the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation *Regretting You, The Black Phone 2* (in its fourth week of release),* *and the psychological indie* Die My Love. *The biopic marks Sweeney's third box office flop of the year, following a similarly disappointing debut for the Ron Howard-directed survival thriller *Eden*, and *Americana*, a modern-day Western that saw Sweeney star alongside Halsey. *Eden* opened to just over $1 million domestically while *Americana* opened to an estimated $500,000, but inspired much debate over whether it could be categorized as a box office bomb.

Sweeney's recent box office woes have led many to speculate that her contentious public persona has been affecting her ability to draw in an audience. After breaking out for her role as Cassie Howard on HBO's *Euphoria*, Sweeney sparked outrage in 2023 after photos emerged from her mother's 60th birthday featuring red MAGA-inspired hats. "There were so many misinterpretations," she said of the photos that year. "The people in the pictures weren't even my family."

She later started a social media frenzy with her controversial partnership with Dr. Squatch, which sold a limited-edition soap marketed as Sweeney's bathwater. But much more divisive was the reaction to her American Eagle ad campaign, released in July, which played up the homophones "jeans" and "genes," leading many to accuse the ad of promoting eugenics.

Sydney Sweeney in 'Christy'.

Black Bear Pictures

Sweeney was largely silent on the controversy, but the firestorm only grew as conservative figures from Megyn Kelly to President Donald Trump weighed in, supporting the actress' ad campaign. Sweeney finally addressed the issue earlier this month, declining to respond to the "genetic superiority" criticism and telling *GQ*, "I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear."

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She also told the outlet that she is not concerned about people not showing up for her movies due to personal controversies.

"If somebody is closed off — because of something they read online — to a powerful story like *Christy,* then I hope that something else can open their eyes to being open to art and being open to learning," she replied. "I’m not going to be affected by that."

Sweeney has also enjoyed some big wins at the box office in the past few years, most notably with the rom-com *Anyone But You*, which grossed an impressive $220 million worldwide against a reported $25 million budget.

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Source: “EW Movies”