Actress Sydney Sweeney has spoken publicly for the first time about the backlash surrounding her American Eagle jeans advertisement, which drew widespread attention earlier this year.
The “Euphoria” and “Christy” star, 28, addressed [1] the controversy in an interview with GQ magazine published Tuesday, saying she remains unfazed by the reaction.
“I know who I am. I know what I value. I know that I’m a kind person,” Sweeney told GQ.
“I know that I love a lot, and I know that I’m just excited to see what happens next. And so I don’t really let other people define who I am.”
When asked directly if she was surprised by the public reaction to the commercial, Sweeney replied, “I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans.”
“All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life,” she continued.
“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.”
The ad, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” sparked criticism online over its wordplay, which some commentators suggested carried a double meaning referencing “genes.”
In the campaign video, Sweeney is seen buttoning a pair of jeans while saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The campaign quickly drew attention beyond entertainment circles after President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance commented on the controversy.
President Trump, 79, praised Sweeney’s work and expressed support for the ad after learning that she is reportedly a registered Republican.
“She’s a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad,” Trump told reporters in August.
“If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”
Vice President Vance also weighed in, criticizing Democratic reactions to the campaign.
He said that Democrats had become “unhinged over a pretty girl selling jeans to kids in America.”
While social media users and some media outlets accused the advertisement of playing into stereotypes, others defended Sweeney and American Eagle, pointing out that the company’s stock rose 38 percent in the weeks following the campaign’s launch.
Sweeney told GQ that she largely avoided the online debate while focusing on her work schedule. “I kind of just put my phone away,” she said.
“I was filming every day. I’m filming ‘Euphoria,’ so I’m working 16-hour days and I don’t really bring my phone on set, so I work and then I go home and I go to sleep. So I didn’t really see a lot of it.”
She also addressed reports that claimed the campaign had negatively impacted the brand.
“When I saw all the headlines of in-store visits were down a certain percentage, none of it was true,” Sweeney said.
“It was all made up, but nobody could say anything because [the company was] in their quiet period. So it was all just a lot of talk. And because 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.”
Asked whether she wanted to respond directly to the criticism or explain why she thought the campaign provoked strong opinions, Sweeney declined to elaborate further.
“I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear,” she said.
Sweeney concluded by addressing those who may choose not to watch her upcoming work because of the ad.
“I think that if somebody is closed off because of something they read online to a powerful story like ‘Christy,’ then I hope that something else can open their eyes to being open to art and being open to learning, and I’m not going to be affected by that,” she said.
The actress continues to film new projects, including the upcoming season of “Euphoria,” while maintaining that the controversy surrounding the American Eagle campaign has not influenced her professional outlook or personal values.