Sydney Sweeney isn’t letting anyone keep her down. Yesterday, representatives for the “Immaculate” and “Madame Web” actress hit back at film producer Carol Baum for criticizing her appearance and disparaging remarks about her ability to act.
Following a public screening of the 1988 horror film “Dead Ringers,” which she produced, Baum spoke with Janet Maslin of the New York Times and randomly threw barbs at the “Euphoria” star. “There’s an actress who everybody loves now – Sydney Sweeney,” she began.
“I don’t get Sydney Sweeney,” she admitted. “I was watching on the plane Sydney Sweeney’s movie [‘Anyone But You’] because I wanted to watch it. I wanted to know who she is and why everybody’s talking about her.”
Baum then proceeded to say that the film was “unwatchable.” Baum, who teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, then proceeded to ask her class, “Explain this girl to me. She’s not pretty; she can’t act. Why is she so hot?”
“Nobody had an answer, but then the question was asked, “Well, if you could get your movie made because she was in it, would you do it?” she continued. “I said, “Well, that’s a really good question… that’s a very hard question to answer because we all want to get the movie made, and who walks away from a green light? Nobody I know. Your job is to get the movie made.”
Now, a representative for Sweeney has written a statement, firing back at the producer. “How sad that a woman in the position to share her expertise and experience chooses instead to attack another woman.” the statement read.
“If that’s what she’s learned in her decades in the industry and feels is appropriate to teach to her students, that’s shameful. To unjustly disparage a fellow female producer speaks volumes about Ms. Baum’s character.”
Several people have come to Sweeney’s defense, including producer Teddy Schwarzman, who worked with the actress on her recent horror movie “Immaculate.” Schwarzman took to Twitter to say, “I’ll enlighten Ms. Baum that two-time Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney is not only one of the most talented actresses I’ve worked with but also incredibly smart, kind, and humble.”
“I’m not sure why someone who claims to still be a producer would make such terribly ugly comments, but I can assure everyone that Sydney is at least beautiful on the inside. And, of course, a badass Scream Queen,” he continued.
Clarifying this situation, Maslin wrote on Twitter: “We brought up ‘Anyone But You’ because it’s been the rare smash hit rom-com at a time when they aren’t working. Not because we wanted to take cheap shots at anyone.”
Sweeney’s latest movie, the religious horror “Immaculate” is in theaters now. “Anyone But You” grossed $218.8 million off a $25 million budget, making for a sizeable hit for Sony Pictures last year. Talk of a sequel has already surfaced.