The 2026 BAFTAs celebrated the best films of the past year on Sunday, February 22, but before the prizes were distributed, the event commanded attention for the red carpet fashion showcased by attendees such as Sadie Sink.
The Stranger Things actress stood out in a mint green Prada gown at the Royal Festival Hall in London, which revealed her back and sides and sparked a flurry of reactions.
Highlights
- Sadie Sink’s backless, sideless Prada gown at the 2026 BAFTAs ignited intense debate over her health.
- Social media users clashed over whether her look showcased toned muscle definition or concerning thinness.
- The controversy echoes recent scrutiny surrounding other young Hollywood stars and the industry’s beauty standards.
As Sink’s alleged bone structure was visible in the outfit, social media users debated if it was a result of being “toned” or “malnourished.”
“Sadie’s dedication to her health and physique — she is perfect,” one netizen wrote, to which another replied, “Have you heard of a skeleton?”
Sadie Sink stunned at the BAFTAs with effortless ’90s Hollywood glamour and an avant-garde risk
Image credits: James McCauley/Variety/Getty Images
Sink’s dress for the soirée appeared to be a classic strapless number at first glance; however, closer inspection revealed the dramatically cut sides and bare back.
A tiny green ribbon was tied around her chest, holding the floating bodice in place.
Sink paired the gown with a statement silver pendant necklace and diamond stud earrings by Bulgari.
Image credits: Harper's Bazaar UK
Her hairstyle, per British Vogue, was reminiscent of styles favored by TV icons like Jennifer Aniston, Claudia Schiffer, and Cindy Crawford a couple of decades ago.
No element of Sink’s appearance sparked as much conversation as the revealing details of her dress, though, which gave netizens a glimpse of her much-debated build.
Fans and critics oscillated between calling Sink healthy and accusing her of starving herself
Image credits: Iona Wolff/BAFTA/Getty Images
“The muscles at the side are called serratus anterior,” one X user noted, while another added, “Those side muscles look incredible on her. Sadie Sink proves that strength can be both feminine and powerful.”
“Girl don’t play about the gym time,” a third added.
“Her hard work really shows,” wrote a fourth.
Image credits: Iona Wolff/BAFTA/Getty Images
One who disagreed with the observation that the contours visible on Sink’s side were muscle, not ribs, said, “You either need to see an optometrist, or this is rage bait.”
“She’s thin, and those are her ribs, not her muscles,” added a second.
Image credits: Iona Wolff/BAFTA/Getty Images
“No, genuinely. I know she’s in good shape, but that is not her abs. And even if it was, she’d still be at an extremely low body fat level if the side abs were visible like that, especially when she wasn’t even flexing her core,” said a third.
“She’s not ripped; she is hungry,” another agreed.
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One, however, pushed back on that narrative while dragging Ariana Grande into the conversation, saying they blame the singer “for this new phenomenon of people seeing normal anatomy like ribs and somehow coming to the conclusion that it has to do with starvation.”
Grande, notably, had been the subject of intense public commentary regarding her weight during the promotional campaign for the Wicked films.
The concern around Sink’s frame also mirrored the conversation that ensued after Jenna Ortega’s Sundance Film Festival
Image credits: Colleen Sturtevant/Wikimedia
Jenna Ortega worried fans in January with her lean physique as she attended the annual movie showcase to promote The Gallerist alongside Natalie Portman, Charli XCX, director Cathy Yan, and co-writer James Pedersen.
“Is she sick or something?” one netizen asked about Ortega’s shrunken frame, while another simply called her evolution “sad.”
“This is what it looks like when Hollywood sinks its teeth in,” remarked a third, with many agreeing that the industry pushes a dangerously thin aesthetic.
One reaction questioned who, if anyone, was protecting the Wednesday star from “Hollyweird.”
“Where are her parents?” another probed.
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The scrutiny of Ortega’s appearance did not emerge out of the blue. It followed months-long discourse centered on allegations of buccal fat removal.
“Whoever created buccal fat removal should be arrested and tried for crimes against humanity,” one commented.
“Imagine the brainwashing it would take to convince someone to do that to their face,” another asked.
Sink’s presence at the BAFTAs came ahead of the debut of her West End production
Image credits: Harper's Bazaar UK
The actress posed on the red carpet with Noah Jupe, her co-star in Robert Icke’s Romeo and Juliet.
Image credits: sadiesink_/Instagram
“I really love London. It’s grown on me a lot,” Sink told Glamour UK about her rehearsal period for the stage gig, which is scheduled to run from March 16 to June 6 at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Sink and Jupe presented the award for Best Production Design at the BAFTAs, which went to Frankenstein.
"If you have to make that many excuses for why her ribs are showing, it probably means that she is too thin," a netizen expressed
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