Sydney Sweeney breaks silence on American Eagle ad controversy
Sydney Sweeney addressed the controversy surrounding her American Eagle jeans campaign in a recent GQ magazine interview. Despite the backlash, which included accusations of promoting whiteness and unrealistic beauty standards due to the campaign’s play on the phrase “great genes,” Sweeney remained unfazed. She emphasized her love for jeans and stated that the reaction surprised her but did not affect her personally. The campaign sparked political debate, with figures like former President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance commenting, the former praising the ad after learning Sweeney is a registered Republican. Sweeney described the political attention as surreal but chose to focus on her work, avoiding engagement with the controversy publicly.She also noted that American Eagle’s sales and stock actually increased during the campaign. Now promoting her new film *Christy*, Sweeney said she’s moved past the incident and remains open to art and learning despite online criticism.
Sydney Sweeney breaks silence on American Eagle ad controversy
Sydney Sweeney finally addressed the national uproar that followed her American Eagle jeans campaign earlier this year. Speaking with GQ magazine for a new cover story, the Euphoria star said she wasn’t shaken by the backlash or the political storm that followed.
“I did a jean ad,” Sweeney said. “The reaction definitely was 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.”
“I knew at the end of the day what that ad was for,” she added. “It was great jeans. It didn’t affect me one way or the other.”
Go inside GQ’s cover shoot with Sydney Sweeney at the legendary Chateau Marmont https://t.co/Dwx4mtHcgL pic.twitter.com/qIEc8OifFP
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) November 4, 2025
The campaign, built around the slogan “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” sparked outrage online over its play on the phrase “great genes.” Critics accused the brand of glorifying whiteness and promoting unrealistic beauty standards.
The controversy grew so intense that figures, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, weighed in.
Trump, after learning that Sweeney was reportedly a registered Republican, said, “She’s a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad! … If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic!”
Vance mocked liberal critics, saying Democrats were creating hysteria around a pretty girl selling jeans. He added that their strategy seemed to be calling “everyone who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive a Nazi.”
Sydney Sweeney on the reaction to her American Eagle campaign: “It was surreal.” https://t.co/nXrhkNTGcz pic.twitter.com/deqbdN9bD5
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) November 4, 2025
Reflecting on that moment, Sweeney called it “surreal” to see top political figures discussing her denim ad.
“I kind of just put my phone away,” she said. “I was filming Euphoria, so I’m working 16-hour days, and I don’t really bring my phone on set, so I work and then I go home and I go to sleep. So I didn’t really see a lot of it.”
Sweeney said she chose not to issue any statement during the controversy, explaining, “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think … I know who I am. I know what I value. I know that I’m a kind person. I know that I love a lot … so I don’t really let other people define who I am.”
The actress also pushed back on reports that American Eagle’s sales were hurt by the uproar, noting the brand’s stock actually rose during the campaign.
Now promoting her new boxing biopic, Christy, Sweeney said she’s moved past the noise.
AMERICAN EAGLE STOCK SOARS 23% AFTER TRUMP PRAISES SYDNEY SWEENEY AD
“If somebody is closed off because of something they read online … I hope something else opens their eyes to being open to art and to learning. I’m not going to be affected by that,” she said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Sweeney for comment.
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