Sydney Sweeney Broke Her Silence on Scandalous Jeans Ad
After months of silence, Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed the uproar surrounding her American Eagle campaign — and the unexpected political attention that came with it.
The 28-year-old actress opened up about the controversy during a recent interview, marking her first public comments since the ad’s release on July 23, 2025. The denim campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” quickly sparked backlash online for what many perceived as racially insensitive undertones.
The ad featured Sweeney — a blonde, blue-eyed star — against nostalgic Americana imagery. She appeared leaning on a white Mustang, playing with a German shepherd puppy, and smiling through sun-drenched suburban scenes. The voiceover concluded with the line, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” In one shot, the word “genes” appeared crossed out and replaced with “jeans,” a creative decision that critics said invoked troubling associations with genetic superiority.
Another version of the ad showed Sweeney confidently declaring:
“I’m not here to tell you to buy American Eagle jeans. And I definitely won’t say that they’re the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn, or that they make your butt look amazing. Why would I need to do that? But if you said that you want to buy the jeans, I’m not going to stop you. But just so we’re clear, this is not me telling you to buy American Eagle jeans.”
While intended as a playful nod to marketing clichés, many viewers accused the campaign of promoting outdated beauty ideals and echoing white-centric stereotypes from earlier decades. Social media users described it as tone-deaf, and some even linked the imagery to white nationalist symbolism.
When Sweeney finally spoke out, she said, “I did a jean ad. 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.”
What began as a brand promotion soon evolved into a national talking point. The debate escalated when former President Donald Trump commented, “If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”
For Sweeney, the political discourse that followed was surreal. She reflected simply, “It was surreal.”
The controversy opened a much broader conversation about diversity in advertising and the cultural messages embedded in modern fashion campaigns — a debate that shows no signs of fading.