Ruby Rose Slams Sydney Sweeney In New Biopic: “Christy Deserved Better”

Following a historically bad box office debut of her new film Christy, Sydney Sweeney has found herself the target of actor Ruby Rose, who publicly accused her of hating gay people.

The film in question follows the story of Christy Martin, one of the most successful women boxers in US history. Closeted for most of her life, Martin is credited with legitimising women’s boxing, and notably survived an attempt on her life by her former husband and coach.

Her boxing career ran from 1989 to 2012, and she was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame the first year women were allowed in, in 2020.

Rose took to Threads on Monday, alluding that they had previously been involved with the project and that the original script had been “incredible” and “life changing”. She wrote that she was “attached to play Cherry”, and while there aren’t any characters in the film by that name, media outlets have speculated that she could have been referring to Martin’s high school girlfriend, Sherry Lusk, or perhaps even Christy herself.

“Everyone had experience with the core material,” Rose continued. “Most of us were actually gay. It’s part of why I stayed in acting. Losing roles happens all the time.

“For her [Sweeny’s] PR to talk about it flopping and saying SS did it for the ‘people’. None of ‘the people’ want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us.

“You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.”

“We don’t always just make art for numbers”, says Sweeney

While this appears to be the only time Sweeney has been accused of homophobia recently, the  comments come following controversy over Sweeney’s political leanings, after she starred in an American Eagle campaign that’s been criticised for its white supremacist dogwhistles. Shortly afterwards, it was discovered that Sweeney was also a registered Republican.

Opening in theatres last week, Christy has received one of the worst opening weekends of all time, with  Box Office Mojo, reporting that the film $1,310,888 grossed across more than 2000 theatres.

Sweeney posted about the box office bomb on Instagram earlier this week, writing that she is “so deeply proud of this movie.”

“if christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded,” she wrote. “so yes I’m proud. why? because we don’t always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact.”