Sydney Sweeney Breaks Silence on American Eagle Ad Controversy
Sydney Sweeney is finally speaking out regarding the criticism that arose from her contentious American Eagle denim advertisement.
“I participated in a denim commercial. Honestly, the response was quite unexpected, but I adore jeans,” the 28-year-old actress, known for her role in Christy, shared in a GQ interview released on Tuesday, November 4. “Jeans are essentially my uniform. My daily attire consists almost entirely of jeans and a T-shirt.”
Sweeney garnered significant media attention in August when American Eagle debuted its campaign titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” a clever linguistic twist on the phrase “good genes.”
Within the commercial, Sweeney enticingly informed the camera, “Genes are inherited from progenitors, frequently influencing characteristics such as hair hue, temperament, and even iris shade. My denim is blue.”
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The advertisement ignited an online discussion concerning eugenics, a disproven ideology focused on enhancing human genetic traits. This concept was embraced by the Nazis and is linked to notions of white supremacy. While the campaign drew significant criticism, it also garnered endorsements from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a situation Sweeney described as “surreal.”
Despite the online condemnation directed at Sweeney and the apparel company, the actress refrained from using her phone, prioritizing her professional commitments.
“I essentially just set my phone aside. My schedule involved daily filming,” she explained. “I’m shooting Euphoria, which means I’m on set for 16 hours daily and typically don’t carry my phone there, so my routine was work, then home, then sleep. Consequently, I wasn’t exposed to much of it.”
Sweeney further stated, “Should there be a topic I wish to address, my voice will be heard.”
Moreover, there were appeals for a brand boycott, yet subsequent reports indicated that American Eagle’s stock value, in fact, rose. Sweeney revealed that she “monitored the figures as they developed.”
“Therefore, when I encountered all the news reports claiming a specific percentage drop in physical store visits, none of it held true,” she recounted. “It was entirely fabricated, but no one could comment since [the company] was in its quiet period. Thus, it amounted to mere speculation. And because I understood the ultimate purpose of that advertisement, which was promoting excellent denim, it had no impact on me whatsoever.”
Queried about concerns that the controversy might impact the reception of her forthcoming endeavors, such as her biopic chronicling boxer Christy Martin, Sweeney expressed her hope that the movie’s “compelling narrative” would draw audiences.
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“My belief is that if an individual is unreceptive to a compelling narrative like Christy’s due to something they’ve encountered online, then I hope another experience can lead them to appreciate art and embrace new knowledge,” she stated. “And I refuse to be swayed by such attitudes.”
Although Sweeney remained silent regarding the advertisement initially, American Eagle issued a public statement upholding the campaign’s intended message.
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ inherently focused, and continues to focus, on the denim itself. Her denim. Her narrative,” declared the August announcement. “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ was always and remains centered on the jeans,” the communication iterated. “Her jeans. Her story.”
