Sydney Sweeney’s New Zealand Getaway with Scooter Braun Faces Unexpected Backlash
Sydney Sweeney has always been open about her personal life on social media, and her relationship with music mogul Scooter Braun has captivated fans over the past year. From red carpet appearances to heartfelt birthday tributes, their public romance has consistently made headlines.
This trend continued over the weekend when Sweeney shared an exciting collection of photos and videos from her adventurous trip to Queenstown, New Zealand. Fresh from filming Netflix’s live-action ‘Gundam’ movie in Australia, Sweeney took the opportunity to relax with Braun, her co-star Noah Centineo, and a group of friends.
The photo carousel featured thrilling moments, including a tandem bungee jump from a high cliff, a helicopter ride over ski fields, snowy mountaintop golf, and even a nighttime jump into the water. Sweeney simply captioned the post, “jumped over to Queenstown,” sharing the same content on both her main Instagram grid and Stories.
However, nestled among the more enjoyable content was a detail that sparked unexpected controversy. Several clips and photos depicted Sweeney attempting target shooting, including archery in the snow and a video of her shooting at a clay pigeon during their outdoor adventures.
Some followers misinterpreted these clips as showing actual birds being hunted instead of clay targets used in standard skeet shooting. This misunderstanding led to a wave of criticism in the comments, with animal rights-sensitive fans reacting strongly. One follower even asked if Sweeney had shot a real bird, while others declared they were unfollowing her due to the images.
Despite the criticism surrounding the shooting-related content, the majority of the trip’s other posts received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Fans praised the couple for their adventurous spirit, with numerous supportive comments appearing under the bungee jumping footage and Braun’s matching posts showcasing the same experience.
Sweeney and Braun first sparked dating rumors back in 2025, and their relationship reportedly became more serious by the end of that year. Their New Zealand trip marked another public milestone in their ongoing romance, following Braun’s debut on Sweeney’s Instagram in May and a heartfelt birthday tribute she shared in his honor in June.
The getaway also highlighted the couple’s playful dynamic beyond their thrill-seeking activities, including a sweet photo of Sweeney leaning in to kiss Braun on the cheek with a stunning mountainous backdrop. Braun shared a first-person, selfie-style video of their bungee jump, offering followers an immersive view of the experience from his perspective.
While neither Sweeney nor Braun has publicly addressed the backlash, the controversy seems to stem largely from confusion over the footage rather than any actual wrongdoing. This latest wave of attention illustrates just how closely fans are monitoring every detail of their public moments together, for better or worse.
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