‘Christie’ star Sidney Sweeney says she was bullied as a child
Sidney Sweeney and Ben Foster talk with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about the movie “Christie” and their childhoods.
Sidney Sweeney is speaking out about her stance on the controversial American Eagle jeans commercial. Many called it tone-deaf and offensive.
In an interview with People published on Dec. 5, the Emmy-nominated actress, 28, made it clear that she doesn’t agree with the negative opinions many people have regarding the campaign, adding that she is someone who always “leads with kindness.”
“I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” she told the magazine. “I did it because I love jeans and I love the brand. I don’t support the opinions of some people who have chosen to associate themselves with the campaign. Many have attached motives and labels to me that are not true.”
The Christie star and clothing brand faced backlash online after a July ad campaign touted Sweeney as having “great jeans,” playing on the homonyms of “genes” and “jeans.” In the commercial, Sweeney says, “Genes are passed from parent to child and often determine traits such as hair color, personality, and even eye color.”
Critics of the commercial argued that the ad supported eugenics, a pseudoscience that promotes the belief that some genetic traits are better than others.
Sidney said the anger “didn’t affect me one way or the other.”
Sweeney spoke first. Criticized in a GQ interview published on November 4th. She said, “It had no effect on me either way.”
“I put out an ad for jeans, and the response was definitely surprising. But I love jeans. Jeans are all I wear. I literally wear jeans and a T-shirt every day,” she said.
“When I have an issue that I want to talk about, people will listen,” she added. She said, “In the end, I knew what that ad was for. It was great jeans.”
Sweeney was also surprised to see the reaction, but said he distanced himself from much of the chatter due to his busy filming schedule for “Euphoria.” She also said it was “unreal” to see both President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance commenting on her commercial.
President Trump says Sweeney is “running the hottest” ads in the world.”
On Aug. 3, President Trump called the ad “amazing” after a reporter told him that Sweeney was reportedly registered as a Republican in Florida, according to public voting records. USA TODAY could not confirm whether public voting records show Sidney B. Sweeney, the “White Lotus” actor, whose middle name is Bernice.
“Sidney Sweeney, a registered Republican, is running the ‘hottest’ ad. It’s from American Eagle and jeans are ‘disappearing from the shelves.'” Go catch Sidney! ” Trump said.
Shares of American Eagle Outfitters rose 22% in response to Trump’s post. On September 4, the clothing retailer admitted that advertising in Sydney was a major factor in the significant increase.
“The fall season is off to a strong start, with customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales increasing, driven by stronger product offerings and the recent success of Sidney Sweeney and Travis Kelce’s marketing campaign,” American Eagle CEO Jay Schottenstein said a day after the company reported second-quarter results.
Contributors: Joey Garrison and Michelle Del Rey, USA TODAY
