Sydney Sweeney has broken her silence on the controversy surrounding her American Eagle jeans advert, which critics accused of flirting with eugenics. The actor, best known for her role in HBO's Euphoria, told People magazine she regretted not addressing the row sooner, saying her silence 'widened the divide'.
The 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' campaign, launched in summer, was a commercial success, making American Eagle the most popular jeans 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 on social media as carrying undertones of white supremacy and compared to Nazi propaganda. Donald Trump called it the 'hottest ad out there'.
Sweeney said she was 'honestly surprised by the reaction', adding: '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.' She stressed she is 'against hate and divisiveness' and hopes the new year brings 'more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us'.
The backlash also came from the right, with Forbes urging the brand to reconsider. American Eagle store visits fell 9% by the end of summer. Sweeney, considered an outside bet for an Oscar for her role in the biopic Christy, described Trump's involvement as 'surreal'.
