Sydney Sweeney Hollywood Sign “Scandal” Likely a Fake, Scripted Stunt, According to X Community Note

This week, the internet reacted quickly to a video of Sydney Sweeney hanging bras on the Hollywood Sign for a lingerie ad. People immediately jumped to conclusions, suggesting she might have been trespassing, vandalizing property, or even committing a crime, without first checking the facts.

TMZ expanded on this idea, suggesting that Sydney Sweeney might not have obtained the necessary permission from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and could potentially face legal issues.

Sydney Sweeney playfully climbed the famous Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles and decorated it with bras. Her fun stunt might have landed her in legal trouble. 😳

Details:

— TMZ (@TMZ) January 26, 2026

When you take a step back and consider the full picture, things appear much less shocking and more deliberate.

What Actually Happened (And What Didn’t)

Let’s start with the facts. The video you’re seeing online isn’t fake. Sydney Sweeney really was on the Hollywood Sign, and people did hang bras from it – that’s all true.

Many initial reports about the Hollywood Sign are missing key details about the area and how it functions, and this omission is important.

The Hollywood Sign is heavily guarded with motion sensors, alarms, and a quick-response security team. If anyone approaches without permission, alarms sound instantly, and security personnel arrive quickly.

This is not theoretical. It’s been documented repeatedly.

Community Note Changes Everything

A comment on the TMZ article about the incident included links to two videos showing how closely the area is watched.

Sydney Sweeney playfully climbed the famous Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles and decorated it with bras. This mischievous act might land her in legal trouble. 😳

Details:

— TMZ (@TMZ) January 26, 2026

A video from @SolJakey shows a group of men walking towards the sign from a distance. As they get closer, loud alarms start sounding, and police arrive within minutes.

He claimed Sydney Sweeney pretended to set off the alarm. He explained the alarms activate within two minutes of the sensors being triggered, and that they altered the Hollywood sign four months prior, sharing unedited video as proof.

Sydney Sweeney faked it.

The alarms go off within 2 mins of tripping those censors.

We changed the hollywood sign 4 months ago, here is some raw footage

— Jakey (@SolJakey) January 26, 2026

In the video, a group covers one of the letters in the sign with a tarp. Alarms can be heard, and soon after, helicopters appear. A park ranger then arrives, and the men are arrested.

This is happening in real-time. You can hear the alarms and see the reaction, and the effects are instant.

Why This Makes the “Rogue Stunt” Narrative Implausible

This is the key point many are ignoring:

Had Sydney Sweeney gone near the Hollywood Sign without permission, security measures would have activated, just like in previous incidents. This would have meant helicopters being sent out and park rangers responding, stopping any filming from continuing smoothly.

None of that happened.

Instead, Sweeney was able to:

Access the area
Interact with the sign
Film promotional material
Leave without interruption
Face no immediate law enforcement response

That situation doesn’t match the usual way people are dealt with when they trespass near the Hollywood Sign.

A Scripted Stunt, Not a Legal Crisis

Considering past instances of similar events, it’s likely this was a planned promotion, carried out with approval, even if the exact authorization process wasn’t obvious to those watching.

It’s hard to believe this was an unplanned, secret act that managed to avoid detection by security measures like alarms, helicopters, and park rangers. Plus, it would be incredibly foolish for an up-and-coming actress like Sweeney to deliberately commit a crime and record it. While some might see it as a bold move, the courts would likely see it as clear evidence of wrongdoing.

Honestly, it doesn’t look like anyone’s going to get in trouble. Unless the authorities really want to make a big deal out of this – which I don’t see happening – it seems like they’re going to let it go.

Hollywood Sign Trust Response Raises Even More Questions

The situation is made even more complex by the Hollywood Sign Trust, which officially states they didn’t approve the stunt. They have no record of giving permission.

Okay, so here’s the deal with Sydney Sweeney’s shoot. Apparently, they didn’t get the proper permissions to film near that famous landmark. The Trust, who oversees the site, confirmed they never approved any interaction with it. It sounds like a bit of a mix-up, but it means the production was operating without authorization.

As a lifelong movie fan, I was surprised to hear about the recent shoot with Sydney Sweeney near the Hollywood Sign. Apparently, anyone wanting to use the Sign in a commercial way – for a movie, TV show, or even just photos – needs permission from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. They’ve said this particular production wasn’t authorized, and they weren’t aware it was even happening. It’s a bit strange to me that something like this could slip through the cracks, considering how iconic the Sign is!

Initially, that claim seems very damaging. However, when you consider actual video footage of the Hollywood Sign’s security, it raises new questions instead.

As I understand it, the security system is pretty robust – if anyone unauthorized gets near the signs, alarms go off almost immediately, and law enforcement responds quickly, even deploying helicopters and park rangers. But during Sweeney’s shoot – which was very professional and clearly visible – none of that happened. It’s like the security system just…didn’t react at all. It was completely missing in action.

If the stunt really wasn’t authorized, the lack of any response – no alarms, no intervention, and no immediate repercussions – points to one of two scenarios. Either the security systems were intentionally disabled with help from inside, or everyone involved is now pretending they weren’t part of a planned promotion that went ahead without permission.

Essentially, if this event was fabricated, it wasn’t done by one person alone. It would have needed help, either through direct involvement, keeping quiet, or quiet acceptance, from people in positions of authority. This makes the idea that it was a random, unauthorized act seem very unlikely.

Viral Outrage vs. Reality

This situation perfectly illustrates how quickly public anger can spread online, often before the full story is known. A striking image, a well-known person, and a famous location were all it took to spark rumors and guesses.

When you look at what happened to Sweeney alongside other, more serious trespassing incidents at the same place, the difference is striking.

The Hollywood Sign isn’t open for anyone to climb, decorate, or film there without facing repercussions.

If Sydney Sweeney had actually done something wrong, we’d be seeing news reports and evidence of an arrest, not just discussing what might have happened.

Ultimately, what we’re seeing is a polished marketing event that appears carefully planned, despite claims online that it was spontaneous or disorganized.

2026-01-27 15:00