Sydney Sweeney Zips It on American Eagle Jeans, Focuses on Lesbian Boxer Biopic at TIFF

Sydney Sweeney delivered a knockout to Variety at the Toronto International Film Festival, where her new movie "Christy" is premiering.

Asked about the recent flap around her campaign for American Eagle — which some claimed to be a shout-out to white supremacy — the "Euphoria" actor reportedly snapped, "I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it, and I'm not there to talk about jeans."

The story of lesbian pugilist Christy Martin, often hailed as “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” and widely considered America’s most successful female boxer, is coming to cinemas worldwide with a highly anticipated biopic titled "Christy." The film, set for release in November, stars "Euphoria" actor Sydney Sweeney. With "Christy" premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, Sweeney offered her thoughts, telling Vanity Fair, "I was blown away that her story wasn't more known on a universal, global level because it's just one of the most harrowing and inspiring women that I've ever met in my entire life."

Born Christy Renea Salters in Mullens, West Virginia, Martin’s rise from a small Appalachian town to international fame was anything but ordinary. She began her boxing career at 21—after a successful stint playing basketball at Concord College—when she entered a local Toughwoman contest. Her tenacity, quick reflexes, and hard-hitting style quickly earned her national attention .

Over a career that spanned more than two decades, Martin racked up 49 wins in 59 bouts, held the WBC female super welterweight title in 2009, and was the first female boxer inducted into both the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (2016) and the International Boxing Hall of Fame (2020)—the latter in the first year women were included on the ballot . Her 1996 bout against Deirdre Gogarty, broadcast on national television, is credited with raising the profile of women’s boxing, earning Martin a cover spot on Sports Illustrated and opening doors for countless women in combat sports .

Long before LGBTQ+ athletes found mainstream support, Martin struggled with her identity in a sport—and a society—often hostile to queer women. She has spoken publicly about knowing she was a lesbian since childhood and facing significant disapproval from her family and community . In her memoir, *Fighting for Survival*, Martin details her early relationship with high school teammate Sherry Lusk and the pain of concealing her true self. The pressures of her personal life became especially acute as her fame grew, with the tension between her public persona and private struggles forming a major theme in her story .

Martin’s life was further complicated by her marriage to her trainer, Jim Martin—a relationship marked by control and violence, culminating in a near-fatal domestic attack that left Martin fighting for her life . Surviving that trauma, Martin ultimately found love and stability marrying fellow boxer Lisa Holewyne in 2017 .

The biopic is already generating excitement across LGBTQ+ and sports communities. According to early reports, the film will not shy away from depicting Martin’s struggles with her sexuality, the violence she endured, and her eventual triumphs—both in her sport and in living authentically .

Sweeney, known for her nuanced performances, is expected to bring depth and empathy to the portrayal, while the production team has consulted with Martin herself, as well as with LGBTQ+ advocates, to ensure accuracy and sensitivity. Advocates stress that the film’s release offers a rare opportunity for mainstream audiences to see a complex, resilient lesbian athlete at the center of her own story—a significant shift from the marginalization or stereotyping that has often defined queer representation in sports cinema .

With its high-profile cast, global release, and focus on intersectional challenges, the Christy Martin biopic is poised to become a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ sports representation. Community leaders and organizations such as GLAAD and Athlete Ally have already voiced support for the project, highlighting its potential to inspire young queer athletes and to foster greater understanding of the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people in competitive sports .