Sydney Sweeney finally breaks silence on ‘disturbing’ American Eagle jeans campaign that caused uproar
Topics: Sydney Sweeney, Celebrity, US News, Entertainment
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
Topics: Sydney Sweeney, Celebrity, US News, Entertainment
Just over four months on since Sydney Sweeney found herself embroiled in a controversial American Eagle jeans campaign, the Euphoria actress has finally opened up over the scandal.
The situation first unfolded back in July, when a new American Eagle advertisement campaign hired the 27-year-old actress as its it-girl for the Fall 2025 collection.
However, during a promotional video for the popular denim line, Sweeney could be seen sporting a double denim outfit while putting up a poster which had a tagline that read: "Sydney Sweeney has great genes."
The word ‘genes’ was then crossed out and replaced with the word ‘jeans’.
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Understandably, fans of the brand were not impressed, with many critics slamming the company for the phrasing which, at best, was insensitive and, at worst, a nod towards white supremacy, with some even arguing it was far too close to Nazi rhetoric used in the 1930s.
During the campaign, Sydney even directly referenced the genes of inheritance when she told customers: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color."
As the camera then cut to her face she added: "My jeans are blue.”
According to a Salon report, the phrase was particularly loaded, as the phrase 'great genes' has been used throughout history to 'celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness'.
At the time, Sweeney kept noticeably quiet on the issue, but fast forward to November, and the star has finally shared her side of the story in a new interview with GQ.
“I did a jean ad,” she told the publication. “I mean, 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.”
Although Sweeney received widespread criticism for her part in the campaign, she wasn’t without her supporters, with both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly supporting her in the days that followed.
Describing such high profile support as ‘surreal’, Sweeney went on to confess that she didn’t actually see too much of the conversation, as she made a pointed effort to keep her phone off set.
“I kind of just put my phone away,” she explained. “I was filming every day. I’m 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.”
When grilling Sweeney directly about the incident, GQ writer Katherine Stoeffel asked: :Is there something that you want to say about the ad itself? The criticism of the content was basically that, maybe specifically in this political climate, white people shouldn’t joke about genetic superiority."
This prompted a guarded but candid response from the White Lotus star, who simply responded: “I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”