“Batgirl” and “Orange Is the New Black” actor Ruby Rose has taken to Threads to slam Sydney Sweeney as a “cretin” following the release of “Christy,” Sweeney’s biopic on the wrestler Christy Martin that disappointed in its box office debut with just $1.3 million. The drama opened in more than 2,000 theaters in North America and has a $15 million production budget.
“The original Christy Martin script was incredible. Life changing,” Rose wrote on Threads. “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.”
“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,” Rose added about Sweeney. “You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.”
Rose appears to be knocking Sweeney for her alleged ties to the Republican party, which Sweeney has never outright confirmed. Various news outlets, including The Guardian, reported over the summer that Sweeney listed her party affiliation as Republican while registering to vote in Florida in June 2024, a few months before Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Trump celebrated the news.
Variety has reached out to Sweeney’s representatives for comment in addition to Black Bear, the production and distribution company behind “Christy.” Rose’s reps have also been tapped.
Sources with knowledge of the project told Variety that Black Bear was never attached to “Christy” with Rose involved, so any possible involvement the actor had with the film occurred before Black Bear joined its development. Another source told Variety that Rose had circled the role of Christy’s high school girlfriend in a version of the film prior to Black Bear’s involvement.
Sweeney’s “Christy” is directed by David Michôd and co-stars Ben Foster. The film chronicles the boxer Christy Martin’s rise to fame in the ring, as well as the abuse she faced from her coach-turned-husband. In Variety’s review, 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.”
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After the film’s disappointing start at the box office, Sweeney issued a statement on her Instagram profile in which 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.”
“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,” Sweeney added.. “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.”
“Christy” continues to play in theaters nationwide from Black Bear.
From Variety US