Actor Ruby Rose, known for roles in “Batgirl” and “Orange Is the New Black,” has taken to Threads to criticize Sydney Sweeney, calling her a “cretin” following the release of “Christy,” Sweeney’s biopic about wrestler Christy Martin. The film had a disappointing box office debut, grossing just $1.3 million despite opening in over 2,000 theaters across North America and having a $15 million production budget.
Rose shared her thoughts on Threads, writing, “The original Christy Martin script was incredible. Life changing. I was attached to play Cherry. Everyone had experience with the core material. Most of us were actually gay. It’s part of why I stayed in acting. Losing roles happens all the time.”
She continued, addressing Sweeney’s public relations comments about the film’s performance: “For her 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.”
Rose’s remarks appear to criticize Sweeney for her alleged ties to the Republican Party, though Sweeney has never outright confirmed this affiliation. Several news outlets, including The Guardian, reported that Sweeney listed her party affiliation as Republican when registering to vote in Florida in June 2024, months before Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Trump publicly celebrated the news.
Variety has reached out to representatives for both Sweeney and Black Bear, the production and distribution company behind “Christy,” for comment. Rose’s representatives were also contacted.
Sources familiar with the project told Variety that Black Bear was never attached to “Christy” while Rose was involved. Any involvement Rose had with the film occurred before Black Bear joined the project. Another source revealed that Rose had been considered for the role of Christy’s high school girlfriend in an earlier version of the film.
Directed by David Michôd, Sweeney’s “Christy” co-stars Ben Foster and tells the story of boxer Christy Martin’s rise to fame as well as the abuse she suffered at the hands of her coach-turned-husband.
In its review, Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised Sweeney’s transformative performance and described “Christy” as a “wrenching portrait of abuse, enabling, gaslighting, and just how far domestic violence can go.”
Following the film’s underwhelming box office start, Sweeney took to Instagram to issue a statement. She wrote: “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.”
She added, “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.”
“Thank you to everyone who saw, felt, and believed and will believe in this story for years to come. If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded,” Sweeney concluded.
“Christy” continues to play in theaters nationwide, presented by Black Bear.
https://variety.com/2025/film/news/ruby-rose-sydney-sweeney-christy-ruined-1236574881/
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