Actor calls Sweeny a “cretin” and claims the biopic “deserved better” after its disastrous opening.
The boxing-biopic Christy, featuring Sydney Sweeney as pioneering fighter Christy Martin, opened to a dismal domestic box office of roughly US $1.3 million, placing it among the worst debuts for a movie released on over 2,000 screens.
In the wake of the flop, Ruby Rose unleashed a scathing post on Threads, blaming Sweeney for ruining the film and calling her a “cretin”.
Rose claims they were originally attached to the project, describing the initial script as “life-changing” and emphasising that “most of us were actually gay…it’s part of why I stayed in acting”.
They took aim at the promotion of the film, accusing Sweeney’s PR of suggesting the work was made “for the people” when, Rose argued, “none of ‘the people’ want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us.” They ended their critique bluntly: “You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.”
Meanwhile, Sweeney has responded by standing by the film and its message: “I’m so deeply proud of this movie…if Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded.”
The actual boxer, Christy Martin, has also publicly defended Sweeney, calling her “a friend and ally… she has worked her ass off for the film” in a post responding to the controversy.
The clash exposes deeper tensions: questions of representation (Rose’s emphasis on queer casting), star power vs. authenticity, and how box office failure can amplify narratives of miscasting. While the box office figures speak one story, the behind-the-scenes dispute may define how Christy is remembered far more than its theatrical run.