Sydney Sweeney is speaking out about some of the hardships she’s experienced in her skyrocket to fame.
Interviewing with Glamour in a “Women of the Year” cover story published Thursday, the “Euphoria” and “Anyone but You” producer and star revealed that particularly aggressive paparazzi have harassed her to the point of stalking her home and refusing to leave unless she posed for them in a bikini.
She recalled the recent incident happening outside her new Florida home, where photographers began yelling at her visiting family.
“They said, ‘If you tell her to just come outside in a bikini, I’ll take pictures and then I’ll leave you alone,’” she said. She also responded critically to social media users who accused her of calling the paparazzi on herself for the publicity, as some celebrities are known to do.
“Why would I call the paparazzi to take pictures of me at my own house when my baby cousins and family are there and I’m in my backyard? Why would I ever want that?” she said. “I have pictures of these guys in kayaks hiding in bushes in the ocean. They got there at 8 a.m. and wouldn’t leave until 4 p.m. I should be able to be in my home and feel comfortable and safe.”
And in terms of safety, she believes the habit of such paparazzi tracking her down at her private residence is putting her and her family at risk.
“When those photos go out, then my actual safety is at risk,” Sweeney told the outlet. “Everyone knows where I am. Now there’s boats that go by, and I literally hear them say, ‘This is Sydney Sweeney’s house.’ It becomes a star tour in my front yard.”
The conversation came in the interview while reflecting on Sweeney’s fame and the particularly hyper-attention on her body in the media and online. She’s taken most of that attention in stride, she said, and is especially heartened by fans who learn to love their own bodies because of the confidence she shows in her own skin.
“That means a lot to me because I really believe in empowering others and feeling powerful with your body and embracing your sexuality,” she said. “And if you have boobs, great. Flaunt them.”
Read the full Glamour profile here.
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