Sydney Sweeney has spoken at length about the American Eagle jeans advertisement that had led to a major controversy. However, her current stance has sparked backlash online, especially among the MAGA faithful, who had cheered her on when the ad had dropped.
The AE ad showed the 28-year-old Euphoria actor wearing jeans apparel, with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The pun around ‘great genes’ led to massive uproar with many on social media even comparing the campaign to ‘Nazi propaganda’.
Sweeney was mostly silent about, until a recent statement during a GQ interview. However, now, she's spoken at length to People magazine, and offered more clarity about her stance. Unfortunately, this has not gone down too well among MAGA supporters who'd rallied around her during the jeans ad row. Notably, even President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had weighed in when Sweeney was in the eye of the storm.
What Sydney Sweeney said about American Eagle jeans ad?
Sweeney told People: “I was honestly surprised by the reaction. I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
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{{/usCountry}}Sweeney told People: “I was honestly surprised by the reaction. I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
Also Read | Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried bring The Housemaid premiere to New York | Photos
{{/usCountry}}She added, “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness. In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but 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.”
During her GQ interview, she'd said “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think,” adding, “I don’t really let other people define who I am… I knew at the end of the day what that ad was for, and it was great jeans, it didn’t affect me one way or the other.” She went on to describe the experience of having Trump and Vance get involved in the row as ‘surreal’.
Is Sydney Sweeney MAGA?
It is not known if Sydney Sweeney is MAGA. She is a registered Republican, as per records. When asked about it, she'd told people to ‘stop making assumptions’ about her political views.
Recently, her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon led to many slamming her look as giving off ‘MAGA vibes’. Sweeney had opted for a form-fitting maroon dress and sported a bob cut look, with many drawing comparisons to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Ivanka Trump and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly.
Now, Sweeney's recent remarks have left many of her supporters feeling betrayed.
Reactions to Sydney Sweeney's comments
One person on X wrote, “The Sydney Sweeney apology wouldn't have happened if Conservatives didn't let her last movie flop. You all complain that all the celebrities are liberals, but if only liberals go see awards-season films, then of course the incentive is to pander to them.”
Another added, “sydney sweeney heard jimmy fallon say the words 67 labubu and it affected her so much she turned woke.” Yet another person said, “Sydney Sweeney woke up and realized that pandering to the MAGA/proud boy/heritage foundation/Christ is king crowd was not the boost to her image that she thought it would be.”