Matt Rife defends Sydney Sweeney amid ad backlash

Comedian Matt Rife has spoken out in defence of actress Sydney Sweeney, following online backlash surrounding her recent American Eagle jeans ad campaign.

Rife, 29, posted on X, responding to mounting criticism directed at the Euphoria star, writing: "I keep seeing people mad at Sydney Sweeney for noooothing. She's learning that the internet is full of absolute garbage losers who will twist anything you say into a — misinterpretation. People are awful."

Sweeney recently appeared in a new denim campaign for American Eagle, with the ta-gline, "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans." The ad, which plays on the word "genes," sparked controversy on social media, with some critics accusing it of promoting far-right ideologies or eugenics.

In one ad, Sweeney discusses how genetics shape traits like hair colour and eye colour, saying, "My genes are blue." Another scene shows her in a plunging denim jumpsuit before telling the camera, "Hey, eyes up here."

While some labelled the campaign as "Nazi propaganda," others criticised the backlash itself as "unhinged." This forced American Eagle to respond with a statement defending the actress.

"'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story," the company said. It added that 70% of the response to the campaign has been positive.

Sweeney has also been at the centre of recent controversy for a soap collaboration with Dr. Squatch, which promoted limited-edition bars allegedly made with her own bath-water.

She addressed the criticism in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, saying, "It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting." She acknowledged that she's strategic when it comes to her more provocative brand deals.

Amid the ad controversies, public records revealed that Sweeney is a registered Repub-lican voter in Florida.