Sydney Sweeney Addresses Hollywood Controversy Over American Eagle Ad

She keeps her personal opinions private, but Sydney Sweeney recently addressed the backlash surrounding her controversial American Eagle campaign. When questioned about the ad ahead of her appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival, she emphasized her focus on her upcoming projects.

Sweeney is set to support her film Christy at the festival, where she portrays boxer Christy Martin. The film is scheduled to premiere on Friday. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she clarified, “I am there to support my movie and the people involved, and I’m not there to discuss jeans. The focus is on the film’s story.”

In August, the actress also declined to comment on the campaign in her Wall Street Journal interview. The ad, which plays with themes of genetics and personal traits, sparked outrage online. Many viewers accused it of promoting eugenics and Nazi propaganda, especially with references to passing genes for traits like hair and eye color, ending with Sweeney stating, “My jeans are blue.”

Courtesy Everett Collection

The controversy led to a call for a boycott of her latest film Americana, which premiered last month. The film underperformed at the box office, earning only $840,000 in its opening weekend across 1,100 theaters in the US and Canada. Despite this, some reports suggest it might still turn a profit for Lionsgate in a limited capacity.

Her co-star, Halsey, publicly defended her, criticizing critics who protested the movie over the ad’s content. Despite the online backlash, American Eagle reported a record-breaking quarter, accruing $1.28 billion in revenue, marking its second-highest quarterly sales ever. The brand’s chief marketing officer, Craig Brommers, praised the campaign as its most successful to date, especially noting the rapid sell-out of Sweeney’s jeans and apparel collections.