- Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed the intense controversy surrounding her “genes/jeans” ad for American Eagle in a new GQ profile.
- The actress dismissed the backlash, stating the ad was simply about “great jeans” and that the uproar “didn’t affect me one way or the other.”
- Despite accusations of promoting “White supremacy,” the ad campaign led to a significant sales boost for American Eagle and earned praise from political figures like Donald Trump.
- Sweeney’s refusal to engage in political commentary aligns her with other stars like Jennifer Lawrence, signaling a potential shift in Hollywood away from celebrity grandstanding.
Sydney Sweeney Claps Back at Ad Controversy
This summer, it was impossible to miss the firestorm surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s collaboration with American Eagle. A playful ad campaign featuring the actress making a tongue-in-cheek pun about her “genes” and her “jeans” sparked immediate and intense backlash from progressive critics. Now, Sweeney is breaking her silence in a new GQ interview, and her response is not what her detractors wanted to hear.
The “Euphoria” star remained cool and unapologetic, shutting down the manufactured outrage with a simple explanation. “I did a jean ad,” Sweeney told GQ. “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.”
The “Genes” That Sparked an Uproar
The controversy began with a TV spot where Sweeney, who has blonde hair and blue eyes, explains the difference between her genetic makeup and her favorite denim. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” she says. “My jeans are blue.”
Critics immediately took to social media, accusing the actress and the brand of promoting “Nazi” ideology and “White supremacy.” Despite the uproar, both Sweeney and American Eagle stood firm, and the company was rewarded with a significant boost in sales and stock performance.
The campaign even drew attention from the White House, with both Donald Trump and JD Vance publicly supporting the actress. In her GQ interview, Sweeney admitted that getting their attention was “surreal,” but she pointedly refused to be drawn into a political debate. “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think,” she stated. “I’m just here to kind of open their eyes to different ideas.”
A New Hollywood Trend?
Sweeney’s refusal to apologize or engage politically puts her alongside other major stars who are now choosing to focus on their craft over political commentary. Jennifer Lawrence recently told The New York Times she no longer speaks out on politics to avoid adding “fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.”
This pivot away from celebrity activism is being seen as a refreshing change by many who have grown tired of Hollywood’s preachy tone. For Sweeney, the focus remains clear. When confronted with the controversy, she simply reiterated that she “knew at the end of the day what that ad was for, and it was great jeans.” In a world of constant outrage, her cool-headed response proves that sometimes, a jean is just a jean.