Sydney Sweeney Addresses American Eagle Backlash

DIGITAL PHABLET – Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed her controversial American Eagle campaign, clarifying her intentions behind it.

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Several months after her campaign for American Eagle sparked criticism, Sydney Sweeney is now speaking out about the reaction from the public regarding the advertisement.

The two-time Emmy nominee recently shared that she “was genuinely surprised by the response” to her “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign. When it launched in July, the playful use of “jeans” as a double entendre for “genes” stirred controversy and accusations of racism.

American Eagle Instagram profile

“I did it because I genuinely love the jeans and admire the brand,” Sweeney explained in an interview with People. “I don’t agree with the negative ideas some people have associated with the campaign.” Many individuals have misrepresented my motivations and labeled me falsely.”

Sweeney expressed that she “leads with kindness” and felt the necessity to clarify her stance after her comments about the campaign went viral during an interview.

“Anyone who knows me understands that I am committed to fostering unity. I dislike hostility and resentment. I used to think it best to stay silent with the press—whether the coverage was positive or negative. However, I’ve now realized that my silence on this matter only worsened the situation,” Sweeney stated. “I hope that the new year encourages us all to focus more on what unites us rather than what divides us.”

Sweeney’s provocative blue jeans ad appeared to echo Brooke Shields’ iconic 1980 Calvin Klein campaign. Responding to the controversy, American Eagle emphasized that the ad “has always been about the jeans.” The campaign even received praise from Donald Trump, who commented, “If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”