Sydney Sweeney has broken her silence again on the American Eagle “Great Jeans” campaign, telling People she never expected the blowback that followed a simple denim ad.
The July campaign, built around the pun “Great Jeans”, spiralled into controversy when some people on social media claimed the wordplay echoed “great genes” and accused the brand of pushing coded eugenics messaging by using a blonde, blue-eyed actress.
Sweeney pushed back on that idea from the start.
Last month she told GQ she never planned to release a statement because she’s not in the business of telling people what to think. Now, speaking to People, she says she doesn’t support any of the interpretations some chose to project onto the ad. “I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand,” she said. “Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
The story took on a life of its own. Political figures weighed in, from White House communications director Steven Cheung to VP JD Vance and even President Donald Trump chimed in when asked about rumours that Sweeney is a registered Republican. “She is? Then I love her ad!” he said.
American Eagle defended the campaign on Instagram, saying the message was exactly what it looked like: a jeans ad, celebrating personal style and confidence.
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Sweeney says she normally never responds to press, good or bad, but decided that staying silent only widened the divide. “I lead with kindness,” she said. “I’m against hate and divisiveness… I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.”
She’d already tried to steer the conversation back to actual work, telling Vanity Fair during TIFF that she was there to promote Christy, not denim. That film, a biopic about boxer Christy Martin, struggled at the box office, but Sweeney stood by it online, proud to portray someone “strong and resilient,” stressing that not every project is about numbers.
Next up, Sweeney returns with The Housemaid, arriving December 19 in the US and December 22 in the UK, where she stars opposite Amanda Seyfried.
Question. At what point does a simple ad stop being an ad and start becoming a mirror for everyone else’s assumptions?
