Sydney Sweeney’s Hollywood Sign Stunt Draws Ire of Chamber of Commerce
A promotional campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney scaling the iconic Hollywood sign to display lingerie has sparked controversy, as the stunt was conducted without authorization from the sign’s governing bodies.
Actor Sydney Sweeney found herself at the center of a public relations issue Monday after video footage surfaced showing her climbing the “H” of the Hollywood sign under the cover of darkness to hang an assortment of bras. The footage, initially reported by TMZ, appears to be part of a marketing effort for Sweeney’s forthcoming lingerie line. However, officials from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which holds the intellectual property rights to the landmark, and the Hollywood Sign Trust, which manages it, were unaware of the production until the video became public.
“Anyone intending to use and/or access the Hollywood Sign for commercial purposes must obtain a license or permission from the Hollywood Chamber to do so,” stated a senior official from the chamber in a released statement. “The production involving Sydney Sweeney and the Hollywood Sign, as reported by TMZ, was not authorized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce nor did we have prior knowledge of it.” The organization further confirmed that no license or permission of any kind was granted for the production, nor was any request for such permission ever submitted.
The video, obtained by TMZ, depicts Sweeney ascending the sign alongside a small film crew documenting the process of stringing bras across the landmark. While the production team secured a general filming permit for the area through FilmLA, filming the sign itself requires separate clearance and a licensing fee. The chamber emphasized that a portion of the proceeds from these fees contributes to a trust dedicated to the maintenance of the Hollywood sign.
Access to the Hollywood sign is generally restricted, and as of Tuesday, no police report had been filed that could initiate a trespass investigation, according to L.A. Police Officer Tony Im, a department spokesperson.
The Hollywood sign, originally built in 1923 and donated to the city 21 years later, has a history of unauthorized alterations. The sign has been the target of various stunts over the decades, including a famous incident in 1976 when it was altered to read “Hollyweed” following changes to California’s marijuana laws. That act was repeated in 2017, resulting in the suspect’s arrest on suspicion of trespass. In 1987, students from Caltech altered the sign to read “Caltech,” and last February, an individual was arrested after climbing the letter “D” as part of a social media promotion.
This is not the first time Sweeney has faced scrutiny regarding promotional campaigns. The Euphoria star previously addressed criticism surrounding the messaging of an ad campaign featuring jeans, stating to The Hollywood Reporter that she was “surprised by the reaction” and that she “[doesn’t] support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign.” She added that many had “assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
Representatives for Sweeney have not yet responded to requests for comment.
