Sydney Sweeney is nearly unrecognizable after dramatic hair transformation

Actress Sydney Sweeney appeared in public with a brunette wig instead of her usual blonde hair.

She posted a series of photos on Instagram from an outing at the Santa Monica Pier with a friend. The images showed her in the darker look while walking around the pier.

The caption read, “When ur bestie shows up and says ‘here put this wig on.’” Commenters reacted to the change, with one writing, “I didn’t even recognise her,” and another saying, “I like this brunette version.”

The posts appeared days after Sweeney released a new advertisement for the sports-betting platform Novig. In the ad she appeared in white underwear while holding footballs and addressed online speculation about her appearance.

She said, “There are grown men making spreadsheets to bet on what color underwear I’m wearing. I mean, I’m flattered?” She then joked about someone “betting their 401(k) on a war” before stating that Novig is “just sports.”

An earlier Novig commercial had drawn criticism for showing Sweeney nearly nude with sports equipment. Female athletes including Ariarne Titmus, Gracie Kramer, and Amy Hunt objected that the ads marketed women’s sports through a male gaze or presented an inaccurate picture of female athletes.

Sweeney responded at the time by sharing images of athletes such as Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe who had posed for ESPN’s Body Issue. The newer commercial and the pier photos have been presented without further public comment from her on the advertising controversy.

The hair change and casual outing were shared on October 15. Social-media reactions focused primarily on the visual difference rather than the betting-platform ads.

Sweeney has not indicated whether the brunette appearance is temporary or part of a longer-term style shift. The Instagram post remains the main public documentation of the look.