Actress Sydney Sweeney has addressed the controversial American Eagle advert that led to months of blowback as critics said it evoked eugenics and President Donald Trump threw his support behind the campaign—but she claims she barely noticed the backlash.
Key Takeaways
- In an interview for GQ magazine, Sweeney said she “kind of just put my phone away” and “didn’t really see a lot” of the backlash that contributed to a partisan firestorm online over the campaign that claimed Sweeney, who is white, blond-haired and blue-eyed, “has great jeans.”
- Critics accused the advert of seemingly promoting eugenics, while right-wing politicians, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, defended the campaign, with Trump calling it the “HOTTEST ad out there” in a Truth Social post.
- Sweeney told GQ it was “surreal” to get the support of the president, which sent American Eagle stock soaring after initial backlash to the advert led to a drop in foot traffic to the brand’s stores, but said the entire saga “didn’t affect me one way or the other.”
- Sweeney also said she didn’t feel she needed to comment on criticism claiming the advert was making light of genetic superiority: “I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear,” she said.
Key Background
Sweeney’s American Eagle marketing campaign released in July. In a voiceover, the actress makes a pun on “genes” and “jeans,” stating her jeans are blue, as text that reads, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” appears on screen. Despite criticism, American Eagle stood by the campaign, stating the advert “is and always was about the jeans” and “great jeans look good on everyone.” Retail data company Pass told Forbes foot traffic fell nearly 9% year-over-year in the weeks after the campaign, but web traffic surged and sales stayed steady, Adweek reported. Conservatives slammed “woke” backlash caused by the ad, and Trump’s support caused stock prices to jump 23%. In September, weeks after the ad campaign rolled out, American Eagle reported Q2 revenue of $1.28 billion and earnings per share of $0.45, besting economist estimates, and stock prices surged 30%. In her GQ interview, Sweeney said she knew the headlines about a drop in business for the company was “all made up.”
A flag of actress Sydney Sweeney is seen outside of an American Eagle store on Aug. 1, 2025 in New York City.
Getty Images
Tangent
While all eyes were on Sweeney amid the backlash, it was revealed she registered as a Republican voter in Florida a few months before Donald Trump was elected in 2024. When a reporter told Trump about her registration, he responded “Oh, now I love her ad… You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans… If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.” The revelation also stirred up a two-year-old controversy that was sparked after Sweeney was seen celebrating her mother’s birthday with several people in red MAGA-style hats, causing her to issue a statement asking fans to “stop making assumptions.” Months later, in another interview with GQ, she said, “Honestly, I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation.” She has not commented on her voter registration status.
Look back on the week that was with hand-picked articles from Australia and around the world. Sign up to the Forbes Australia newsletter here or become a member here.
