{"id":2189516,"date":"2025-12-06T19:53:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T19:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2189516"},"modified":"2025-12-06T19:53:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T19:53:20","slug":"sydney-sweeney-admits-she-was-surprised-by-intense-backlash-to-american-eagle-jeans-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/sydney-sweeney-admits-she-was-surprised-by-intense-backlash-to-american-eagle-jeans-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Sydney Sweeney admits she was &#8216;surprised&#8217; by intense backlash to American Eagle jeans campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F12%2Fsydney-sweeney-wearing-dress-miu-116866474.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Sydney Sweeney isn\u2019t feeling euphoric about online commentary.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cHousemaid\u201d star, 28, came under fire\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/31\/lifestyle\/american-eagles-ad-with-sydney-sweeney-spark-debate-race-and-beauty-standards\/\">following\u00a0an American Eagle partnership<\/a> in July. <\/p>\n<p>The \u201cSydney Sweeney has great jeans\u201d campaign\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/02\/lifestyle\/sydney-sweeney-jeans-ad-especially-off-putting-nj-influencer-says\/\">sparked a debate about race<\/a>\u00a0and beauty standards.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney in her American Eagle ad. <span class=\"credit\">American Eagle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Critics focused on the use of the word \u201cgenes\u201d instead of \u201cjeans\u201d when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed star.<\/p>\n<p>Many social media users\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/video\/why-liberals-hate-the-sydney-sweeney-ad-red-hot-takes\/\">felt that the ad promoted eugenics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Now, Sweeney is getting candid on her ad\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney poses in her \u201cSydney Sweeney has great jeans\u201d campaign.  <span class=\"credit\">American Eagle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI was honestly surprised by the reaction,\u201d she\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/sydney-sweeney-shares-emotional-response-to-american-eagle-jeans-campaign-exclusive-11863206\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confessed to People.<\/a>\u00a0\u201cI did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don\u2019t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren\u2019t true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sweeney said she \u201cleads with kindness\u201d in her life and doesn\u2019t want to be associated with anything negative.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone who knows me knows that I\u2019m always trying to bring people together,\u201d she continued. \u201cI\u2019m against hate and divisiveness.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney poses in a white tank and jeans for American Eagle. <span class=\"credit\">American Eagle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sweeney also cleared up why she chose to speak out now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press,\u201d the \u201cAnyone But You\u201d actress detailed, \u201cbut recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it. So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>In November, Sweeney told <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/sydney-sweeney-gq-cover-story-interview-men-of-the-year-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GQ<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019ve always believed that I\u2019m not here to tell people what to think. I\u2019m just here to kind of open their eyes to different ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney\u2019s controversial ad was released in July. <span class=\"credit\">American Eagle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle. <span class=\"credit\">American Eagle<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_17-0\">The \u201cEuphoria\u201d star also explained why she doesn\u2019t feel the need to address things publicly, stating, \u201cI\u2019ll vent to my girlfriends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_17-0\">\u201cBut other than that, no. I know who I am. I know what I value. I know that I\u2019m a kind person. I know that I love a lot, and I know that I\u2019m just excited to see what happens next. And so I don\u2019t really let other people define who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\">\u201cI did a jean ad,\u201d Sweeney continued. \u201cI mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans,\u201d she told the outlet. \u201cAll I wear are jeans. I\u2019m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the time, the \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d alum opted not to clarify any misconceptions. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney attends the 16th Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on November 16, 2025. <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_21-0\">\u201cI think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n<p>In September, while at the Toronto International Film Festival for her film \u201cChristy,\u201d Sweeney told <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/sydney-sweeney-christy-interview-american-eagle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vanity Fair<\/a>: \u201cI am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it. I\u2019m not there to talk about jeans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the model\u2019s American Eagle video, she says: \u201cGenes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the time, Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan\u2019s Ross School of Business, revealed how he felt the controversy should have been handled. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney wearing a dress by Miu Miu at the \u201cHousemaid\u201d premiere on Dec. 2, 2025. <span class=\"credit\">ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cYou can either say this was ignorance, or this was laziness, or say that this is intentional. Either one of the three aren\u2019t good,\u201d he told the Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>American Eagle, however, quickly\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/01\/entertainment\/american-eagle-breaks-silence-on-sydney-sweeney-ad-controversy\/\">defended the company\u2019s campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Sydney Sweeney has great jeans\u2019 is and always was about the jeans,\u201d the clothing brand wrote in an August Instagram\u00a0statement. \u201cHer jeans. Her story. We\u2019ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney in \u201cEuphoria.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Eddy Chen\/HBO<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Just one month earlier, in June, Sweeney faced backlash for her partnership with Dr. Squatch after selling<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/06\/07\/lifestyle\/the-post-tests-sydney-sweeneys-soap-made-with-her-bathwater\/\">\u00a0a limited-edition line of bar soaps<\/a>\u00a0made from her bathwater. <\/p>\n<p>In 2023, Jacob Elordi and\u00a0Barry Keoghan starred in the movie \u201cSaltburn\u201d together. In one scene, the Irish actor\u2019s character Oliver drinks bathwater after Elordi\u2019s Felix had pleasured himself in the tub.<\/p>\n<p>Fans created a \u201cBathwater Candle\u201d inspired by the moment.<\/p>\n<p>According to Sweeney, she saw the commentary on her soap, which wasn\u2019t well received.  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sydney Sweeney as Cassie in \u201cEuphoria.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">HBO<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s important to have a finger on the pulse of what people are saying, because everything is a conversation with the audience,\u201d she told\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/style\/sydney-sweeney-career-path-5d615d43?mod=style_lead_story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>\u00a0about navigating internet feedback in August.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting,\u201d Sweeney mused. \u201cThey all loved the idea of\u00a0Jacob Elordi\u2019s bathwater.\u201d<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/20\/entertainment\/sydney-sweeney-reacts-to-online-fodder-after-american-eagle-ad-backlash\/#\"\/><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/20\/entertainment\/sydney-sweeney-reacts-to-online-fodder-after-american-eagle-ad-backlash\/#\"\/><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sydney Sweeney isn\u2019t feeling euphoric about online commentary. The \u201cHousemaid\u201d star, 28, came under fire\u00a0following\u00a0an American Eagle partnership in July. The \u201cSydney Sweeney has great jeans\u201d campaign\u00a0sparked a debate about race\u00a0and beauty standards. Sydney Sweeney in her American Eagle ad. American Eagle Critics focused on the use of the word \u201cgenes\u201d instead of \u201cjeans\u201d when [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2189517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[25538,339107,21751,422603,21741,309386],"class_list":["post-2189516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-actors","tag-american-eagle-outfitters","tag-celebrities","tag-celebrity-apologies","tag-entertainment","tag-sydney-sweeney"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Sydney-Sweeney-admits-she-was-surprised-by-intense-backlash-to.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2189516"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2189518,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2189516\/revisions\/2189518"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2189517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2189516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2189516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2189516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}