Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk found himself at the center of a social media backlash following a post he made regarding actress Sydney Sweeney's appearance. On December 16, 2025, during the Los Angeles premiere of Sweeney's new psychological thriller "The Housemaid," the actress stepped onto the red carpet in a white, low-cut dress adorned with feathers. Musk, the 54-year-old CEO, reacted to footage of the event by sharing an AI-generated image that appeared to comment on the actress's physical appearance.
The image Musk shared juxtaposed a photograph of a woman with an illustration of a spine, highlighted in red, and featured an audio clip of a voice uttering "Owie," seemingly alluding to back discomfort. This post quickly drew criticism from users who found Musk's comments about Sweeney's appearance to be distasteful, especially considering the notable age difference between the two. Musk, who is 26 years older than the 28-year-old Sweeney, was labeled "weird" by a user who highlighted the age gap.
The online community did not hesitate to voice their disapproval of Musk's actions. Brace Belden, co-host of the TrueAnon podcast, responded to Musk's post with a sarcastic "GREAT point," while others questioned the appropriateness of Musk's decision to make such a post in the first place.
In the past, Musk has made similar controversial remarks directed at younger female celebrities. In September 2024, he responded to singer Taylor Swift's presidential endorsement with a bizarre tweet, offering to "give [Swift] a child and guard [her] cats with [his] life." These incidents have prompted a reflection on the shifting public perception of Musk, with some users reminiscing about the more positive views of the tech mogul back in 2018.
Sydney Sweeney, who shared the red carpet with her co-star Amanda Seyfried, aged 40, has previously addressed inquiries about her physical appearance. In an episode of Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Test series, Sweeney affirmed the authenticity of her physical features and denied having undergone any cosmetic procedures, with the polygraph results confirming her truthfulness.
This incident raises questions about the implications of public figures commenting on the physical attributes of others, particularly in the context of age and power dynamics. As social media continues to blur the lines of public and private discourse, the reactions to Musk's post highlight an ongoing conversation about the boundaries of celebrity interactions.
