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The biopic 'Christy,' which centers on the story of legendary boxer Christy Martin, has recently become the centre of a heated dispute. Following an exceptionally poor first weekend of about $1.3 million in more than 2,000 theaters across the United States, attention shifted from the box office to the cast and creative decisions. Ruby Rose, who claims to have previously been linked to a supporting role in the movie, strongly criticized Sydney Sweeney's performance and casting on social media, calling her a "cretin" and claiming that Sweeney "ruined the film."
On the contrary, Martin responded by publicly defending Sweeney on Instagram, highlighting her commitment to the project and elaborating on their strong relationship. At the same time, Sweeney affirmed her pride in the film's impact despite the numbers. The controversy has opened up conversations about representation, authenticity, and the business of biopics.
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Sydney Sweeney's Role, the Biopic's Performance & the Criticism
Sydney Sweeney takes on the difficult challenge of playing Christy Martin in the biopic, the groundbreaking female boxer who defeated her husband and trainer in an attempted murder after winning the WBC female super welterweight title in 2009. As part of her preparation, Sweeney reportedly underwent months of intense training to capture Martin's athleticism and spirit.
When the movie debuted on 7th November, it brought in a meager $1.3 million over the course of its first weekend on over 2,000 screens, making it one of the worst big-budget releases in recent history. Adding to the fuel, in the wake of this underperformance, Ruby Rose criticized the project. Rose alleged stated that she was originally involved in the biopic and accused the final film of lacking LGBTQ+ authenticity (Martin identifies as lesbian), saying "none of 'the people' want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us."
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Image Courtesy: Collider
She ended her critique with: "You're a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better." Since then, the scathing critique has brought the movie and Sweeney's performance as Martin under close public attention.
Christy Martin's Defence and the Wider Fallout
In a direct counter to Rose's statements, Christy Martin took to the social media and posted a photograph of herself with Sydney Sweeney and offered a clear public defence: "Syd not only worked her ass off for this film, she worked her ass off for me. For my story. For so many others suffering in silence. So I want to be clear about who Syd is. She is my friend and ally!," emphasizing the actor's dedication to sharing her tale with dignity and genuineness.
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Meanwhile, Sweeney also posted on Instagram expressing her pride in the film's purpose with the caption, "If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded…So yes I'm proud. Why? Because we don't always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact." Aside from the drama, Sweeney has other high-profile projects lined up as well, and this situation may influence how people view her in terms of her public persona and artistic aspirations.
The dispute also raises questions about representation in films focused on queer and female athletes, the responsibilities of casting choices, and how much box‑office success should affect the legacy of a film made with social purpose.
