US EditionSydney Sweeney Explains Her “Silence” Amid American Eagle Ad Controversy
Sydney Sweeney rejects claims of racism linked to her jeans ad and calls for unity as the campaign remains debated months after its July release.
- On Dec. 2, 2025, Sydney Sweeney attended a New York City screening and addressed months of backlash over her American Eagle ad, defending it as about her love of the jeans and brand.
- The American Eagle campaign debuted in July and used "jeans" as a play on "genes," prompting accusations of veiled racism while American Eagle said the spot "is and always was about the jeans," with a Brooke Shields reference noted.
- Last month, Sweeney downplayed the drama in a GQ cover story, saying she was busy filming Euphoria Season 3 and didn’t grasp the campaign’s viral spread, telling PEOPLE Friday she was surprised by the reaction.
- American Eagle stood by the ad, reiterating its product focus, Donald Trump endorsed the campaign, and Sweeney clarified she opposes hate and divisiveness.
- Despite the backlash, her career remains strong as The Housemaid, film starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, arrives later this month; she said her prior silence widened divides and hopes the new year focuses on unity.
62 Articles
62 Articles
Sydney Sweeney Explains Her “Silence” Amid American Eagle Ad Controversy
Sydney Sweeney is addressing the backlash to her controversial American Eagle ad. Months after the Euphoria star appeared in a denim campaign for the clothing brand which used the word "jeans" as...
Sydney Sweeney takes stand ‘against hate’ after American Eagle controversy
Sydney Sweeney has definitively taken a stand “against hate,” months after her controversial American Eagle jeans campaign sparked immediate backlash online — with some critics even likening it to Nazi propaganda. “I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” she told People in an emotional interview published late Friday. “I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign.…
The likeness of »Jeans« and »Genes« in an advertisement brought Sydney Sweeney criticism. Trump supporters considered them one of theirs. The actress remained silent for a long time. Now she says that the attributions are wrong.
(San Francisco = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kwon Young-jeon = Famous American actor Sydney Sweeney (28), who filmed a jeans ad that sparked a racist controversy, has broken her silence...
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