Sydney Sweeney is being ‘transvestigated’ now, yes, really

Sydney Sweeney is the latest celebrity to face vile harassment online from conspiracy theorists claiming she is secretly transgender.

The Euphoria actor became the latest victim of online abuse from “tranvestigators” – conspiracy theorists who believe some celebrities, politicians, and other notable figures are transgender and hiding their identity.

Tranvestigators tend to justify their claims against individuals, particularly women, by claiming they have “masculine” features. Those subjected to the harassment tactic previously include Michelle Obama, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brigitte Macron, and even Charlie and Erika Kirk.

An X/Twitter user bizarrely claimed Sweeney was “actually a man” in a Sunday (11 January) post sharing two photos of the actor in a black blazer.

“Why is Sydney Sweeney’s neck so much wider than her head?” the post reads. “I’m starting to get really worried that she’s actually a man.”

The post was widely mocked by commenters who called the user “genuinely f****** insane” for making the accusations, with one user writing: “It’s happening, the right are transvestigating Sydney Sweeney.”

However, the laughably spurious justification for the claims seemed to be enough for others to begin spreading the claims across the internet, with others making wild claims over the actor’s facial structure.

The accusations come as Sweeney herself has faced rising controversy over her perceived right-wing political views.

Backlash against the star came in July last year after she starred in a major ad campaign with the clothing brand American Eagle, which many claimed made light of white supremacist and eugenicist rhetoric.

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour,” Sweeney said in the ad. “My jeans are blue.”

The advert was quickly defended by the Trump administration and several right-wing pundits. Vice president JD Vance said in August the same year that Democrats were suggesting that “everybody who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive is a Nazi”.

In 2022, she also found herself in hot water after sharing pictures of her mother’s birthday party. Several of the pictures featured members of her family in MAGA hats and shirts reading “Blue Lives Matter”.

Addressing the controversy, Sweeney tweeted: “You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the attention. Please stop making assumptions.”