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Sydney Sweeney issues sharp response to backlash over American Eagle jeans ad

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Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed the firestorm of controversy that erupted earlier this year over her jeans advert for clothing firm American Eagle. The Euphoria actress, 28, sparked fierce criticism over the campaign, which launched with the tagline ‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ — with many comparing the play on the word ‘jeans/genes’ to rhetoric surrounding eugenics and white supremacy.
The ad saw Sweeney, posing in a pair of American Eagle jeans, saying: ‘Genes are passed down from parent to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.’ After this, multiple outlets in the US reported that the actress’ voting records show her being a registered Republican, although she has not publicly spoken about this. It even led to President Donald Trump showering praise on the campaign, saying: ‘I love her ad.’ (Picture: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Now, Sweeney has addressed the backlash for the first time in a new interview with GQ, where she downplayed the fuss and remained unapologetic. ‘I did a jean ad,’ she explained. ‘The reaction was definitely a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.’ (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
She wet on to admit she was surprised by the attention from Donald Trump, saying she had focused on her work rather than the US President’s reaction. ‘It was surreal…it’s not that I didn’t have that feeling, but I wasn’t thinking of it like that,’ she said. ‘I kind of just put my phone away. I was filming Euphoria every day.’ When asked to address the claims that the advert promoted ‘genetic superiority’ she told the reporter: ‘I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.’ (Picture: John Salangsang/Shutterstock)
Her response to the question has sparked a wave of support from some fans, who took to social media to praise the actress for the way in which she handled the question. ‘Seriously we’re at the point for a young woman needing to be apologetic about being attractive because she inferred she likes her genetic code,’ one fan wrote. Another added: ‘The Sydney Sweeney “has good genes” ads aren’t about white supremacy. There is no “racist undertone”, unless you choose to put it there.’ (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Others highlighted the difference between the reporter and the actress, suggesting she appeared nervous while Sydney remained composed. ‘It’s a contrast in seeing a white person that has been shamed into disdaining her immutable qualities, versus one who is just living her life,’ one person wrote. (Picture: Cindy Ord/VF24/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
However, the ad isn’t the only time the actress has come under scrutiny lately. Sweeney – who plays trailblazing female boxer Christy Martin in the upcoming biopic Christy – also made headlines recently for the sheer silver gown she wore to Variety’s recent Power Of Women event, with some remarking on the contradiction between her outfit and her speech. (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)
She said: ‘I’m not a fighter in the ring, but I recognise something of myself in [Christy Martin]. I know what it feels like to be underestimated, to have people define you before you’ve had a chance to define yourself. I know what it feels like to have to prove that you deserve to be here, to be seen, to be taken seriously. But every one of us has our own fight, and Christy reminds us all that strength doesn’t look loud sometimes, and sometimes it’s just about getting back up again and again, no matter who’s watching.’ (Picture: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Her speech divided opinion, with some being critical on social media. ‘You’re right. No one knows hardship like a thin, blonde, straight, white woman lol,’ one commented, as another suggested she was ‘wearing a dress that puts her body on display more than her message.’ (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)
The actress is no stranger to controversy. Back in 2022, photos from her mother’s 60th birthday party showed members of the Sweeney clan wearing red ‘Make Sixty Great Again’ baseball caps and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ T-shirts. At the time Sweeney said: ‘An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention.’ Speaking to GQ UK, she later added: ‘Honestly I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation. It’s been turning into a wildfire and nothing I can say will take it back to the correct track.’ (Picture: John Salangsang/Shutterstock)
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