Hollywood sign boss says CGI used as part of Sydney Sweeney bra stunt

The man in charge of the Hollywood sign claims CGI was used in a video that appeared to show Sydney Sweeney decorating the landmark with dozens of bras.

A viral clip shared last week, which appeared to show the Euphoria star and a film crew accessing the tourist attraction, was recorded without permission, according to those who control the site.

Some have suggested there's no way they would have been able to get so close to the structure without police turning up.

Jeff Zarrinnam, head of the Hollywood Sign Trust, has insisted filming took place without authorisation, but is adamant parts of the footage were digitally altered.

Representatives for Sweeney have not replied to requests for comment.

The video, intended to promote the actress's new lingerie brand, was uploaded to her Instagram account last week.

Filmed at night, it shows the star and a group of others lugging duffel bags and equipment towards the Hollywood sign.

The actress and crew are seen unzipping the black bags and pulling out dozens of bras, which are then tied together and thrown over parts of the structure.

A final, wide shot shows the entire sign covered in a snaking chain of bras, before cutting to Sweeney as she poses and celebrates with the sign in the distance behind her.

Zarrinnam tells Newsbeat he's sure the final shots of Sweeney's video were digitally altered.

He says climbing the 50ft (15.2 m) tall letters - especially at night - is a delicate job that can't be rushed.

"They used CGI for that," he says.

"There's no way you could have covered the sign in that amount of time."

Zarrinnam says authorised stunts where the sign has been modified in some way, such as a 2022 makeover to celebrate American Football team LA Rams winning the Superbowl, have involved careful planning and execution.

"It would take you hours to do that," he says.

He also says it's been incorrectly suggested Sweeney can be seen climbing the letter H in the video.

"I know that sign intimately," he says.

"She was climbing the letter L.

"If she'd tried climbing the H she probably would've fallen and broken her neck."

Commercial filming near the Hollywood sign requires multiple permits and licences from different bodies in Los Angeles.

Zarrinnam tells BBC Newsbeat Sweeney and her crew had permits to film within the city and Griffith Park, where the sign is located, but did not have permission from the trust to enter the fenced-off area around it.

And the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (HCoC), which owns image rights to the sign, says it did not issue a licence for the production.

Zarrinnam says he is conducting his own investigation into what happened, but has yet to receive a reply from Sweeney or her production company.

"I have to be fair," he says.

He says the fact some permits had been obtained leaves the possibility that those involved may genuinely have believed the project was authorised.

"Sydney Sweeney probably isn't reading paperwork," he says.

"Did she think she had the right to do that? Did her production team tell her what the do's and don'ts were?"

After Sweeney's video went viral, several widely shared posts cast doubt on the "official" version of events, asking why motion sensors near the sign didn't trigger alarms.

In the footage uploaded by Sweeney no sirens can be heard, and when BBC Newsbeat contacted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to ask if the force had been involved, we received a short reply.

"No report filed. No crime committed."

Zarrinnam tells Newsbeat the sensors were actually activated when Sweeney's crew approached the sign, and neighbours who live nearby got in touch to alert him.

But, he says, a "miscommunication" meant that a potential emergency response was called off, and the LAPD never got involved.

He understands that "someone from the film office" mistakenly told those who raised the alarm the crew had permission to be there.

Zarrinnam says the decision on whether to press charges rests with him, and it's something he will seriously consider once he has the facts.

"I'm upset and the neighbours are upset about it," he says.

"We have to get the word out so people don't think they can get away with it."

In the meantime, Zarrinnam says he'll look at beefing up the sign's current security arrangements.

"You'll even see on the video there are no trespassing signs around the perimeter of the fence," he says.

"Looks like I might have to buy some more."

It is not the first time Sweeney's advertising work has faced backlash.

Her campaign for denim brand American Eagle - was criticised for describing the actress' "great jeans".

Critics argued it was a play on genes, evoking the eugenics movement, although her defenders said any outrage was overblown.

Representatives for the actress have yet to respond to requests for comment from BBC Newsbeat about her Hollywood sign video.

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