Sydney Sweeney Isn’t Apologizing for Her American Eagle Campaign

Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed the denim ad that broke the internet. The Euphoria star spoke to GQ while promoting her new boxing movie, Christy, reflecting on the viral American Eagle campaign that sent timelines spiraling with think pieces, memes, and even song lyrics.

“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,” Sweeney told GQ.

OK?! What a way to completely bypass the crux of the issue.

When asked how it felt to see even the president and vice president comment on the ad, she admitted, “It was surreal.” But the actor insisted she wasn’t following the drama in real time. “I kind of just put my phone away. I was filming every day. I’m filming Euphoria, so I’m working 16-hour days and I don’t really bring my phone on set, so I work and then I go home and I go to sleep. So I didn’t really see a lot of it.”

Pressed on the deeper criticism of the ad, that in today’s political climate, white people shouldn’t joke about “genetic superiority," Sweeney gave an extremely careful answer.

“I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear," she said.

That refusal to apologize shouldn’t come as a shock. Controversy is nothing new for Sweeney, who’s been here several times, in fact.

The MAGA birthday party

Back in 2022, photos from Sweeney’s mother’s 60th birthday party went viral after guests were spotted in red “Make America Great Again” hats and “Blue Lives Matter” T-shirts. At that point, no one really knew what her political affiliations could be, but these photos gave people a hint. The backlash was instant.

“You guys this is wild,” Sweeney wrote in a response to the noise via X. “An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone and Happy Birthday Mom!”

At the time, she tried to downplay the political implications. But in the wake of the jean ad, news outlets surfaced evidence that Sweeney is, in fact, a registered Republican in Florida.

You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone ♥️ and Happy Birthday Mom!
— Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney) August 27, 2022

The bathwater soap

Then there was the Dr. Squatch collab, which came in the form a men’s grooming soap “infused” with her bathwater. Everyone had their thoughts. Critics called it bizarre and an attempt at pandering to her male fanbase; others found it funny and self-aware. Sweeney, as usual, brushed it off.

“I think it’s important to have a finger on the pulse of what people are saying, because everything is a conversation with the audience,” she told the Wall Street Journal. “It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting. They all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi’s bathwater.”

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