Christy Martin Defends Sydney Sweeney Amid “Christy” Box Office Struggles

Sydney Sweeney has received strong support from Christy Martin after the biographical sports drama “Christy” struggled at the box office.

The film, which tells the story of Martin’s rise as a professional boxer in the 1990s and the 2010 attempted murder by her coach-turned-husband, earned $1.3 million in its opening weekend in the U.S., making it one of the worst openings for a wide release, according to Box Office Mojo.

Despite the film’s poor commercial performance, Christy Martin praised Sweeney for her hard work and dedication. On Instagram, Martin wrote, “I’ve always been a fighter. My life reflected that in every way and now I fight for others. The past few days I have seen some people attack my friend Sydney Sweeney. Syd not only worked her a** off for this film, she worked her a** 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!”

Sweeney has also defended her work and emphasized the impact of the film. “Proud of the film David made. Proud of the story we told. Proud to represent someone as strong and resilient as Christy Martin,” she said. “This experience has been one of the greatest honors 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.”

She 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. So yes I’m proud. Why? Because 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. Thank you Christy. I love you.”

The film, directed by David Michôd and co-written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, stars Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Weaver, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, and Chad L. Coleman. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, in the Special Presentations section and received mixed to positive reviews, with particular praise for Sweeney’s performance.

Some critics and viewers, including former Batwoman actress Ruby Rose, have criticized Sweeney’s portrayal. Rose commented that she was once attached to the project and said, “You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Christy deserved better.” Even so, both Sweeney and Martin remain proud of the project’s message and its social impact.

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