Video shared on social media showed actress Sydney Sweeney and several others climbing the hillside of Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills and draping dozens of bras across the landmark’s 50-foot-tall letters. The footage quickly circulated online, prompting questions about how access to the tightly controlled site was obtained.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Steve Nissen, president and chief executive of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said the activity had not been approved. “The production involving Sydney Sweeney and the Hollywood sign was not authorised by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, nor did we have prior knowledge of it,” he said.
The display is widely believed to be part of a promotional campaign for a new lingerie line, Syrn, with which Sweeney is associated. According to the LA Times, Sweeney’s production company, Persuasion Pictures, secured a filming permit from FilmLA, the city’s official film office. However, because the Hollywood sign is owned and licensed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, separate authorisation would have been required.
Media reports have also suggested the stunt could prompt a police investigation, as the footage appears to show the group accessing the site through a wire fence, raising the possibility of trespass.
The incident adds to previous controversy surrounding Sweeney’s marketing work. She has faced criticism before, notably over an American Eagle jeans advertisement whose slogan—“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”—was accused by some commentators of carrying troubling undertones.
No formal penalties or legal action have been announced so far.