Sydney Sweeney Believes Her Lack of Response to the American Eagle Controversy Deepened the Divide

Sydney Sweeney has revisited her reaction to the controversial American Eagle denim campaign. The 28-year-old actress appeared in the July ad titled Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans, which played on the wordplay between genes and jeans. The campaign sparked criticism from many who interpreted it as a subtle nod to white supremacist messaging, while others, including former President Trump, praised it on social media.

Speaking to People on December 5 while promoting her new movie The Housemaid, Sweeney expressed her surprise at the intensity of the response. She explained that her participation was motivated by her appreciation for the brand and its products, not by any political intentions. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just arent true, she stated.

Known for her emphasis on kindness, Sweeney emphasized her desire to bring people together rather than create division. She admitted that delaying a response may have contributed to the controversy. My silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it, she said. I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.

The ad controversy has again positioned Sweeney at the crossroads of cultural debates on beauty and politics. While she did not explicitly clarify her political views in her recent comments, her remarks were more open than earlier statements made to GQ in November. At that time, she described her love for jeans and downplayed the campaigns political implications, noting the challenge of processing the backlash while filming the third season of Euphoria.

She also expressed a belief that audience reactions to online discourse should not overshadow the experience of engaging with her work. I think that if somebody is closed off because of something they read online to a powerful story, then I hope that something else can open their eyes to being open to art and being open to learning, Sweeney commented.

Author: Harper Simmons