Sydney Sweeney shuts down questions about American Eagle ad controversy at TIFF

Sydney Sweeney refuses to discuss American Eagle ad controversy while promoting Christy at TIFF.

Sydney Sweeney has made it clear she will not be addressing the controversy surrounding her American Eagle ad campaign while promoting her new film Christy at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Speaking to Vanity Fair ahead of TIFF, where Christy is having its world premiere, Sweeney emphasized that her focus remains on the film and its subject, professional boxer Christy Martin.

The actor, who stars in the David Michôd-directed indie boxing drama, explained, “I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it, and I’m not there to talk about jeans.” She stressed that her presence at TIFF is dedicated to discussing the film, which tells the story of Martin, describing the real-life boxer as “the most harrowing and inspiring woman that I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign, featuring the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” attracted national attention this summer. The campaign’s wordplay on “great genes” sparked backlash from some critics, who accused it of glorifying the actress’s white heritage and slim physique. Some social media users even likened the ads to “Nazi propaganda,” prompting a response from American Eagle. The brand defended the campaign, stating, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,” adding that they “will continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”

Despite the criticism, the campaign was commercially successful. American Eagle recently revealed that Sweeney’s jeans collaboration sold out within a week and credited the campaign with “unprecedented new customer acquisition.” The controversy even reached the White House, where communications manager Steven Cheung cited the backlash as an example of “cancel culture run amok.”

Sweeney has consistently declined to comment publicly on the campaign and reaffirmed to Vanity Fair that she will not discuss it during TIFF. The film Christy is set to debut on September 5 at the festival.