Sydney Sweeney says she was ‘surprised’ by American Eagle ad criticism

Sydney Sweeney opened up about her American Eagle denim ad, which was released on July 23 this year. In her latest interaction with People magazine, the Anyone But You actress said her silence regarding the backlash her commercial has faced encouraged “hate and divisiveness”. Ahead of The Housemaid's release, Sweeney combated negative views that some people connected to the denim campaign.

Sydney Sweeney told People that she did the commercial out of admiration for jeans and American Eagle. “I was honestly surprised by the reaction. I did it because I love the jeans and the brand,” Sweeney said.

“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,” she added. American Eagle's denim campaign titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” met with heavy criticism online shortly after its release. While some claimed the word “jeans” — a play on “genes” — hinted at genetic superiority, others said the commercial took inspiration from Brooke Shields' 1980 denim campaign and catered to the male gaze.

Sydney Sweeney emphasized that she was “against hate and divisiveness”. “Anyone who knows me knows that I'm always trying to bring people together,” said the actress, who described herself as someone who “leads with kindness”.

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The Christy actress told the outlet that she initially wanted to keep quiet regarding the hue and cry about her ad. However, she realized that her silence backfired. “In the past, my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press. But recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it,” Sweeney said.

“I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us,” she concluded.

Also read: Is Sydney Sweeney MAGA? Remark over American Eagle jeans row sparks backlash; 'turned woke'

Sweeney first broke her silence on the campaign in an interview with GQ. “The reaction definitely was a surprise,” she had said. She added that she loved jeans and wore them “every day of my life”.

Source: Hindustan Times
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