The Box Office Bombed, So The Clothes Came Off
If there is one rule in Hollywood, it is this: when your movie tanks, you break the internet to distract them. Sydney Sweeney seems to have mastered this dark art of PR deflection. Fresh off the humiliating box office implosion of her boxing biopic Christy, the actress isn't hiding in a hole; she is stripping down and partying like the rent is due. The Euphoria star just unleashed a series of photos from a chaotic "Friendsgiving" week that has tongues wagging and eyes popping, proving that even if she can't sell tickets, she can definitely sell a thirst trap.
Sweeney, 27, decided to host what might be the most fever-dream party of the year: a Shrek-themed rager. But while most people would throw on some green face paint and call it a day, Sydney went full "Hollywood vixen." She dressed up as Dragon—the giant, fire-breathing love interest from the animated franchise. But this wasn't a mascot suit. It was a "sexy twist" that barely qualified as clothing. We are talking red horns, a top that defied gravity, and bottoms that were essentially a suggestion, revealing a massive amount of her famous backside.
The timing is suspicious, to say the least. With critics tearing her acting chops apart and Christy sinking faster than the Titanic, this sudden pivot to hyper-sexualized cosplay feels like a calculated move to reclaim the narrative. Forget the boxing gloves; she’s bringing out the big guns. And by big guns, we mean cheeks.
She knows exactly what she is doing. The movie flopped so she dropped the thirst traps. PR 101.
The Scooter Braun Conspiracy: Who Is Riding The Donkey?
But the real scandal isn't the amount of skin on display; it’s the mystery meat inside the inflatable suit next to her. In several snaps, Sydney is seen cozying up to a person dressed as Donkey—Dragon’s canon love interest in the movies. The internet has collectively decided that the man inside the suit is none other than music mogul and industry villain Scooter Braun.
Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Sweeney and Braun are the new "It" couple of the underground gossip circuit. They were spotted grabbing a "low-key lunch" earlier this month, sparking a frenzy of speculation. Now, seeing her pose intimately with "Donkey" has sent the rumor mill into overdrive. Is Scooter Braun, the man who famously feuded with Taylor Swift, now sweating inside a plastic donkey costume to appease his younger girlfriend?
The symbolism is almost too rich. In the movie, Dragon and Donkey are the odd couple that defies the odds. Is Sydney telling us something? Or is she just trolling us? If that is indeed Scooter Braun, it marks a bizarre new chapter in his post-divorce midlife crisis. Going from managing Justin Bieber to cosplaying as Eddie Murphy’s character for a Gen Z party is a character arc nobody saw coming.
If that is Scooter Braun in the donkey suit I am going to scream. The visual is haunting me.
"Christy" The Catastrophe: Why She Needs A Win
To understand why Sydney is posting photos of herself straddling a cardboard cutout of an ogre (yes, that happened too), you have to look at the professional wreckage she is currently standing in. Her passion project, the gritty boxing biopic Christy, was supposed to be her Oscar bait. It was supposed to prove she was more than just a pretty face. Instead, it was a critical and commercial disaster.
The film bombed hard. Theaters were empty. Reviews were savage. For a star who has been on a meteoric rise, this was her first major face-plant. Insiders say the failure of Christy has been a massive blow to her ego and her bankability. Studios are watching. When you can't open a movie, you become a liability.
So, what does a savvy starlet do? She reminds the world why they liked her in the first place. She pivots back to the "fun, hot, relatable" girl image. The Shrek party, the skimpy bikinis, the wild nights out—it is all a smoke screen. She is essentially saying, "Look over here at my dragon tail, not at the box office receipts!" And frankly, it is working.
Jet Skis, Bikinis, and Damage Control
The Shrek rave wasn't an isolated incident. It was the cherry on top of a week-long bender of escapism. Sydney documented a whirlwind tour of distraction, sharing snaps from a Disney park, a dive bar, and a lake trip where she was spotted jet skiing in a bikini that looked two sizes too small. She is living her best life, or at least performing it for the cameras.
The "unbothered" aesthetic is strong. While her agents are likely screaming into their pillows about the Christy numbers, Sydney is out here puffing out duck lips with a friend dressed as the Gingerbread Man. It is a level of dissociation that is almost admirable. She is treating her career crisis like a PTO day.
But industry whispers suggest this "time off" might be forced. Is she taking a break, or is Hollywood taking a break from her? When a movie bombs this hard, the phone stops ringing for a minute. Sydney filling that silence with loud, viral content is a survival tactic.
She is doing everything possible to make us forget that boxing movie existed. And honestly, looking at these pics, it's working.
The Leg Wrap Seen 'Round The World
One specific photo from the night has garnered more attention than the rest. In a display of pure chaotic energy, Sydney was photographed posing with a life-sized cardboard cutout of Shrek. But she wasn't just standing next to it. She had her leg wrapped aggressively around the ogre’s waist, staring into the camera with a sultry pout.
It is the kind of image that launches a thousand memes. It is trashy, it is camp, and it is undeniably provocative. Is she signaling that she loves a "monster"? Is she just drunk on Friendsgiving juice? Or is this another layer of the "I don't care" persona she is crafting?
The intimacy she showed the cardboard cutout, coupled with the cozy vibes with the inflatable Donkey, paints a picture of a wild night. Sources at the party claim the drinks were flowing and the vibe was "feral." It wasn't a polite dinner; it was a release of tension. And considering the week she’s had professionally, she probably needed to let off some steam.
The Scooter Situation: A PR Nightmare or Power Move?
Let’s circle back to Scooter Braun. If the rumors are true and they are indeed dating, this pairing is a PR minefield. Braun is Public Enemy Number One for a massive chunk of the pop culture demographic (Swifties never forget). Sydney associating with him is risky business. It could alienate her young, female fanbase.
However, in Hollywood, power is an aphrodisiac. Braun is undeniably powerful. He can open doors that a failed boxing movie might have closed. Is Sydney playing the long game? Is she "riding the donkey" all the way to a new record deal or a producing credit?
The lunch date earlier this month was the soft launch. This costume party might be the hard launch. If they step out officially soon, it will confirm that Sydney is entering her "Villain Era." And frankly, a sexy dragon dating a powerful donkey is the kind of twisted fairytale TMZ lives for.
What’s Next: Redemption or More Ravings?
Sydney Sweeney is at a crossroads. She can either buckle down, find a new script, and try to regain her acting credibility, or she can lean fully into the celebrity influencer circuit. The Shrek photos suggest she is currently choosing the latter.
Fans are eating it up, but the industry is fickle. A sexy costume gets you likes, but it doesn't get you an Oscar. Unless, of course, they start giving out awards for "Best Performance in a Viral Instagram Carousel."
For now, we will keep our eyes peeled for more sightings of the Dragon and her Donkey. And Scooter, if you are reading this inside that inflatable suit: blink twice if you need help. Or just unzip the mask and give us the exclusive.
