Actor Sydney Sweeney has spoken out for the first time about the controversy surrounding her American Eagle jeans advertisement, which critics accused of flirting with eugenics. In an interview with People magazine, the 'Euphoria' star said she regretted staying silent during the row, which even drew comment from Donald Trump.
Sweeney stated: 'I have come to realise that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.' She added that she is 'against hate' and hopes the new year brings 'more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.'
The 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' campaign launched in summer and was a commercial success, making American Eagle the most popular jean brand for 15- to 25-year-olds and boosting its stock by 30%. However, the ad featuring a blond-haired, blue-eyed model was criticised for carrying undertones of white supremacy, with some social media users comparing it to 'Nazi propaganda'.
Sweeney expressed surprise at the backlash, saying: '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.'
The actor, who is considered an outside bet for an Oscar for her role in the biopic 'Christy', had previously described Trump's intervention as 'surreal' but had largely avoided discussing the ad in interviews.
