American Eagle defends controversial Sydney Sweeney ad after outrage: ‘Great jeans look good on everyone’

LOS ANGELES, CAIFORNIA: American Eagle has addressed the heated controversy surrounding its latest Fall 2025 campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.

The brand broke its silence after backlash erupted over wordplay in the ads, with critics accusing the company of pushing disturbing racial themes.

Sydney Sweeney campaign sparked backlash over wordplay in denim ad

The campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” drew attention after some versions altered the word “Jeans” to “Genes.”

Many accused the brand of subtly promoting eugenics and “master race” ideology because of Sweeney’s appearance of white, blonde, and blue-eyed.

Adding to the firestorm, a commercial featured the 'Euphoria' star delivering lines that critics viewed as suggestive.

In one video, Sweeney says, “Eyes up here,” while wearing denim-on-denim.

She also explains, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” followed by the quip, “My jeans are blue.”

Among the stars criticizing Sweeny were Doja cat and Lizzo. 

On July 29, Doja Cat posted a video mocking Sydney’s exact script, but using an exaggerated Southern accent.

Lizzo mocked Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad by posting her own satirical version of the campaign. “My jeans are black…" she wrote in the caption. 

American Eagle responds saying ad is only about denim and confidence

In a statement posted to Instagram on Friday, August 1, American Eagle directly responded to the criticism.

“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the brand wrote.

“Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way,” the company added. “Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The clarification came after critics online claimed the ad pushed a coded message referencing eugenics. Despite the company’s intent, the double entendre in the campaign ignited intense conversation across platforms.

Megyn Kelly and Steven Cheung call outrage ‘absurd’ and ‘cancel culture’

As criticism mounted, figures from the right pushed back against the online uproar.

Former President Donald Trump’s communications manager, Steven Cheung, blasted the reaction.

“This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024,” wrote Cheung on X. “They’re tired of this bulls**t.”

On her SiriusXM show, Megyn Kelly echoed that stance, referring to the controversy as an overreaction by the “lunatic left.”

“They’re upset because it’s about who gets to be the face of America’s Best Genes,” said Kelly.

“They think it’s no accident that they’ve chosen a white, thin woman because you’re, I guess, not allowed to celebrate those things in any way, shape, or form. But they’re completely ignoring the reference to her body, which is the thing she’s famous for. It’s just absurd.”

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