Sydney Sweeney Doubles Down On Her Feelings Over American Eagle Backlash
By Afouda Bamidele on December 6, 2025 at 1:00 PM EST
Sydney Sweeney still feels the reaction trailing her American Eagle ad was unfair.
Things took a while, but the actress finally spoke extensively about how the backlash against her American Eagle commercial truly made her feel, and it was not a good one.
Sydney Sweeney has had quite the rollercoaster year career-wise, with at least two of her visual projects failing to make much impact at the box office commercially.
Sydney Sweeney Insists Labels Attached To Her Are Not Accurate
The talented actress sat down in a candid interview where she addressed everything that trailed her appearance in the jeans ad. Sweeney confessed that she was honestly surprised by the reactions because her decision to model for the brand was borne out of love.
"I don't support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren't true," the actress added.
American Eagle, on the other hand, also defended the actress as soon as the campaign dropped, emphasizing that the ad has always been about American Eagle and a celebration of all its wearers.
Sweeney added that as someone who always chooses to lead with kindness, she will always stand against divisiveness, which the backlash against the campaign brought.
"I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it. So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us," the TV star concluded to PEOPLE.
The 'Euphoria' Star's Initial Stance To The Outrage Bordered On Indifference
The Blast had earlier shared that Sweeney declared that she was not losing sleep over the situation when it was very severe. She noted the adverse effect her campaign allegedly had on the brand as false and asserted that things were perfectly alright.
While American Eagle did not respond at the time Sweeney said something, she assured that all was well and the company was merely in a quiet period.
The actress reiterated that she understood where things stood professionally with the brand, and the backlash mostly fell on deaf ears because things were done with the best of intentions.
Sweeney also evaded the bit about Trump reacting to her campaign, where he said he loved what she did with the ad. The actress claimed that she barely paid attention to the noise online amid her tight schedule and lengthy days on set.
The Anger Over Sydney Sweeney's Commercial Was Reportedly All Bark, No Bite
An independent poll analyzed the backlash when it peaked and consequently deduced that only a fraction of American citizens had the time to react to the situation. Specifically, 12% of American citizens were offended by the poll, while 39% of the population sampled found the ad very witty.
Another 40% could not understand why people took so much offense with the commercial, as 8% of the sampled population remained undecided about the state of things.
The stats also analyzed the reaction along gender lines, where 49% of men thought Sweeney and the team did a clever job, and 31% of women sampled were positioned to call the campaign offensive.
Politically, the campaign appealed to 57% of Republicans compared to 27% of Democrats who found it clever. Younger adults also seemed to enjoy the campaign more than the older ones.
The Media Personality Earned Praises For Enviable Composure Despite A Challenging Year
The actress' co-star for her "Christy" movie had a completely different review to give about Sweeney's character and work ethic despite the constant scrutiny she faces.
As shared by The Blast, Foster recalled her attitude to work on the set of "Christy," where she mostly showed up to work prepared to seize the day while learning the crew's names by heart.
"I'd be knackered at the end of the day, and she'd go train for another three hours to fight the next morning … She's a powerhouse," Foster noted. He added that the star has also done incredibly well for herself when it comes to handling matters in such a social media-dominated environment.
Unlike Foster, who passionately avoids the platform for obvious reasons, Foster confessed that he holds Sweeney's conduct in the space in high esteem. "But she plays in that field. It's so important to this generation, to the future. I find her incredibly impressive," Foster added.
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Ad Shattered Market Records Held By Other Celebrities
Talk about a wicked power move from the actress! Sweeney's controversial collab with the fashion brand ultimately paid off in stats and sales. The limited-edition pieces, which she modeled in the video, reportedly sold out within 48 hours and reflected a 10% increase in the company's market share.
American Eagle recorded an additional $400 million to its market value due to the teeming sales, while website traffic stood still at the 100% mark. Sweeney outperformed Kim's SKIMS collab with Nike back in September, where Nike stocks rose by 6% after the announcement of their partnership.
She also smashed Beyoncé's famous Super Bowl ad for Verizon, which pushed the company's stock by just 2.5%. More celebrities like Kylian Mbappe's joint with Dior in 2021 and Travis Kelce's American Eagle x Tru Kolors streetwear partnership all failed to rally their company's stocks like Sweeney's.
