Sydney Sweeney Breaks Silence On American Eagle Jeans Ad Controversy: ‘Surreal’

Sydney Sweeney isn’t staying zipped about her American Eagle jeans ad controversy any longer. The actress broke her silence on the uproar over the polarizing campaign, telling GQ in the mag’s Men of the Year cover story that despite the heated debate she was and remains unbothered. “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 said, adding, “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.” When asked about the topic triggering a response from even the White House, Sydney noted that it was “surreal” but had no bearing on her day-to-day life as she was on set for “Euphoria” up to 16 hours a day and didn’t have her phone most of the time. The campaign sparked debate over the summer over its use of the phrase “great jeans” in reference to Sydney having great “genes,” or genetics, a tagline which some believe promoted white supremacy while others considered it a harmless pun. Ultimately, the “Christy” star said she felt no need to issue a statement at the peak of the backlash and still doesn’t find it necessary to weigh in on the finer points. “I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear,” she said. Back in August, the brand shared an Instagram post declaring that the campaign “is and always was about the jeans,” adding, “we’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their ae jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”