The Real Story Behind Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Jeans Ad Controversy
Sydney Sweeney, best known for her role in Euphoria, has found herself in the middle of an unexpected internet storm. The actress recently appeared in a new American Eagle ad that’s getting a lot of attention, and not just for the jeans.
In the ad, Sweeney smiles at the camera and says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color… my jeans are blue.” The commercial plays on the words “genes” and “jeans,” but a lot of people online say there’s more to it than a cute pun.
Some critics think the ad sends a dangerous message. They’ve accused it of using racial undertones and even of nodding to eugenics — the idea that certain physical traits make someone superior. The fact that Sweeney is blonde, blue-eyed, and white has only fueled that reaction. A TikTok from user @thealtperspective has been viewed nearly two million times, calling the ad “literally an ad FULL of racist and fascist dog whistles.”
@thealtperspective also it’s all about her body AGAIN #americaneaglejeans #sydneysweeney #americaneagle ♬ original sound – american_gulf
Fashion advocate Dr. Brett Staniland told Newsweek that the backlash comes from “the terminology and its inferences suggesting a connection to Sydney Sweeney’s appearance being perfect, denoting her blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin.”
Not everyone is buying that argument. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the criticism, calling it “dense liberal thinking” and “cancel culture run amok.”
Meanwhile, the controversy hasn’t hurt American Eagle’s bottom line. In fact, it’s doing the opposite. The day after the campaign launched, Quartz reported that the company’s stock jumped 17%, adding around $400 million to its value.
American Eagle stayed quiet for days before finally addressing the situation on Instagram. Their statement read: “Her jeans. Her story. We’ll keep celebrating how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their own way. Great jeans look good on everyone.” The ad seems to take inspiration from Brooke Shields’ famous 1980 Calvin Klein commercial, which also stirred up drama at the time.
But many social media users weren’t satisfied. Some mocked the wordplay, calling it confusing or tone-deaf. Others felt the company’s response was basically a polite way of saying they didn’t care.
The drama only grew when Donald Trump weighed in. On his social media platform, he wrote, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. Go get ’em, Sydney.” In a post he later deleted for misspelling her name, he also said, “Being WOKE is for losers — being Republican is what you want to be.”
Even Dunkin’ seemed to join in on the trend. Soon after, they released an ad with actor Gavin Casalegno saying, “I didn’t ask to be the King of Summer… it just kind of happened. This tan? Genetics.”
Following Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” American Eagle ad, Dunkin’ has released a similar campaign featuring Texas-born actor and model Gavin Casalegno.
— AF Post (@AFpost) July 30, 2025
“I didn’t ask to be the King of Summer… it just kinda’ happened. This tan? Genetics.”
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/J8uuwvOE9k
For now, American Eagle isn’t backing down. They’re keeping the ad, and the conversation around it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Sydney Sweeney ad for American Eagle is up in Times Square.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) August 4, 2025
Never bow to the woke mob.
(cititour_nyc on TT) pic.twitter.com/1WNwQduIv0
The company and Sweeney are getting loads of publicity, and the jeans? Well, they’re selling.
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