Sydney Sweeney says American Eagle jeans ad drama ‘didn’t bother’ her

After months of silence, Hollywood bombshell Sydney Sweeney has finally talked about the controversy that surrounded her American Eagle jeans ad — the same campaign that turned into an unexpected internet storm earlier this year.

The Euphoria actress said she never imagined a denim ad could create so much noise. What surprised her most was how far it went — from social media debates to even the president and vice president of the United States giving their opinions.

Sydney Sweeney explained that when the criticism started, she was busy shooting long days for Euphoria and barely looked at her phone. Instead of following every headline, she focused on work and moved on. She didn’t defend or attack the ad, only saying that she knew exactly what it was meant to show — “great jeans,” not a social statement.

The American Eagle jeans ad, released in July, played on the pun between “genes” and “jeans.” It showed Sydney Sweeney in classic denim, with a line suggesting she “has great jeans.” Many people saw the humor, but others called it tone deaf, arguing that using a blonde, blue-eyed woman to talk about “good genes” sent the wrong message.

The backlash grew so loud that even politicians weighed in. Donald Trump called it one of the “hottest” ads of the year, while his vice president joked that Democrats were overreacting. Through it all, Sydney Sweeney said nothing publicly — until now.

Sydney Sweeney told GQ that she doesn’t plan to respond to every online debate and will only speak up when something truly matters to her. She also made clear that the situation didn’t affect her or her relationship with the brand.

American Eagle later stood by the American Eagle jeans ad, saying it was always meant to celebrate confidence and individuality. Their CEO also defended keeping the ad up, saying creativity shouldn’t come from fear.

Now, as Sydney Sweeney promotes her new movie Christy, she seems ready to move forward — still wearing jeans almost every day, just as she always has.