RM Sydney Sweeney Breaks Silence on American Eagle Backlash: “I Don’t Stand for Hate or Division”
After months of avoiding the topic, Sydney Sweeney has finally spoken out about the controversy surrounding her American Eagle campaign, saying in a new interview that she opposes “hate and divisiveness.”
Earlier this summer, Sweeney appeared in American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” advertisements. The slogan — “has great jeans/genes” — paired with her blonde hair and blue eyes sparked criticism from some on the political left, who accused the brand of subtly nodding to eugenics and white supremacy. Meanwhile, figures on the right, including former President Trump, praised the campaign.
“The reaction really caught me off guard,” Sweeney told People. “I signed on because I genuinely love the jeans and the brand. I don’t align with the meanings people chose to assign to it. A lot of labels and intentions have been put on me that just aren’t true.”
While the campaign became heavily mocked by some and enthusiastically defended by others, Sweeney mostly stayed out of the conversation. She avoided discussing the situation during film press tours and brushed off related questions in earlier interviews. Speaking to GQ in November, she said, “I always knew the ad was simply about great jeans, and it didn’t affect me emotionally either way.”
However, during her recent press run for the film The Housemaid, Sweeney acknowledged that staying silent may have unintentionally escalated the situation.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’m about bringing people together,” she said. “I’m completely against hate and division. I’ve usually chosen not to comment on either positive or negative press, but I’ve realized lately that my silence on this issue only made the gap wider. I’m hoping this new year shifts the focus toward what unites us rather than what tears us apart.”
