Sydney Sweeney Ends Social Media Hiatus Amid Unending Ad Backlash

Sydney Sweeney has returned to Instagram with an unapologetic stance!

The sensational actress became the internet's latest punching bag following her controversial American Eagle campaign. She sparked online outrage for making a "jeans/genes" pun, which critics found offensive.

The Ad divided fans, with Sydney Sweeney taking a social media break for over two weeks before her surprising return on Wednesday, August 13. Coincidentally, her comeback occurred on the same day of the week as her last post, Wednesday, July 23.

The "Euphoria" actress dropped a series of promotional pictures for her upcoming movie "Americana," which reportedly debuts on August 15, 2025. The first picture captured Sweeney in the driver's seat of a vehicle, with her hair framing her face in gentle curls.

The upload featured more pictures of Sweeney and her co-stars, including Halsey, dressed like a rockstar and flashing the rock-and-roll hand sign. "A few years ago, I filmed this little movie with some friends, and now you get to meet Penny Jo," she captioned the post.

Sweeney's unapologetic return to the social media platform sparked mixed reactions from fans, with some applauding her for not listening to the online chatter. "I love how she pisses so many people off by just existing," an IG user wrote.

The support for Sweeney continued, with a fan noting: "Proud of you, Sydney, don't listen to anyone but yourself." Another supporter echoed similar sentiments, implying that the actress was "booked & busy" while her haters were crying over her Ad.

Unfortunately, not everyone was a fan, with singer Caroline Kingsbury calling Sweeney out for her political views. "But like what the f-ck is up, girl, u wanna play a lesbian in this movie but then be a registered republican and not speak about how that is kinda f-cked up," Kingsbury wrote.

Another critic implored the Jewish community to stand against Sweeney's new movie, while an IG user slammed her for using Dolly Parton's "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" as the post's background music. The criticism continued with someone labeling Sweeney's acting "weak sauce."

Despite the online chatter, a survey by the Economist/YouGov Polls revealed fewer people were bothered about Sweeney's American Eagle campaign. The Blast covered the poll results, reporting that 39% of the 1,635 respondents found the "jeans/genes" pun clever.

40% said it was neither clever nor offensive, 8% were unsure, and 12% labeled it offensive. The survey further revealed that women were more offended by the Ad than men, and so were 22% of Democrats. On the other hand, 57% of Republicans surveyed loved the campaign.

The differences continued in regards to the respondents' ages, with 34% of people aged 65 and above finding the pun clever. 45% of younger adults aged 18-29 also found it witty, while 12% were offended. President Donald Trump joined Sweeney's corner following the backlash, declaring her "ad is fantastic."

Some celebrities joined fans and critics in trolling Sweeney's Ad, including singer/rapper Lizzo. The Blast shared that she teased a new song, "I'm Goin' In Till October," on social media, with part of the lyrics reading: "B-tch, I got good jeans like I'm Sydney!"

In a promotional video for the song, Lizzo donned an all-denim ensemble featuring a jean jacket similar to the one Sweeney donned for the controversial Ad. However, instead of jean trousers, the rapper flaunted her legs in Daisy Dukes shorts.

Lizzo first trolled Sweeney's Ad with a meme of her body edited into a denim outfit identical to the one from the campaign. She captioned the post "If the Democrats won the election" alongside the words "Mine are Black jeans," referencing one of the Ad's slogans.

While internet users slammed Sweeney for the jeans Ad, others stood in her corner like talk show host Dr. Phil. The Blast shared that the older entertainer was shocked by the hate the young actress received for the campaign.

Dr. Phil was more outraged by those who compared the Ad to the Holocaust, stressing that the comparison was "an absolute insult." He reflected on the tragedy and the lives lost, wondering how people found the incident similar to a jeans Ad.

The TV personality doubled down on the hate against Sweeney and the campaign being unnecessary, adding that he would support the actress and American Eagle by buying "those jeans for every woman" in his family. He echoed similar sentiments about Sweeney getting shamed for allegedly being a Republican.

Given her recent post, it appears Sydney Sweeney is more focused on getting paid rather than the Ad controversy.