Sydney Sweeney Clarifies Her Feelings of Responsibility for Her Parents' Divorce and Financial Issues

Sydney Sweeney has revealed that she felt responsible for her family's financial difficulties while trying to establish her career in Hollywood as a teenager. "I put immense pressure on myself to succeed and achieve everything so I could help rebuild parts of our lives," she explained.

On the December 1 episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Sweeney, 28, discussed her experiences growing up in a family facing financial challenges while she pursued acting. The episode was recorded live at Chapman University in California to promote her latest film, Christy.

She shared how she, along with her parents Lisa and Steven Sweeney, relocated from Spokane, Washington, to Los Angeles to support her acting ambitions. "I was doing everything I could to build a resume, make connections, and ensure my parents didnt lose faith in me," Sweeney said. "I enjoyed being a kid, but there was so much happening at the same time. Coming from a small town, the cost of living in L.A. was overwhelming."

Sweeney revealed that her father lost his job, her family filed for bankruptcy when she was 16, and her parents eventually divorced. "I carried a lot of guilt because I had brought them to the city and wanted to lift their lives. I blamed myself for a long time," she admitted.

Although Sweeney made her television debut in 2009 with appearances on shows like Heroes and Criminal Minds, her career gained momentum in 2018 with roles in series such as Everything Sucks! and Sharp Objects. As a teen, she had hoped to "buy back my parents' house and reunite the family" once she accessed her Coogan account at 18, only to find it contained just a few hundred dollars.

"I put so much pressure on myself to succeed and achieve everything to help piece our lives back together," Sweeney reflected.

Neither of her parents had prior connections to the entertainment industry. Lisa Sweeney worked as a criminal defense attorney before dedicating herself to raising Sydney and her brother, while Steven Sweeney pursued a career in hospitality. In a 2023 interview, Sweeney described her father as living on a ranch in Mexico without internet or cell service, adding, "I know hes proud of me and thinks, Wow, this is a crazy world!"

Sweeney has also shared that as a child, she created a detailed presentation for her parents to explain why she wanted to pursue acting. She has since been able to give back: in 2024, she disclosed that she had paid off her mother Lisas mortgage.

Author: Sophia Brooks