The young star is once again collaborating with a well-known brand, ignoring last year's wave of criticism and cancellation.
Euphoria star, 28-year-old Sydney Sweeney, is once again conquering the advertising campaigns of American Eagle. This collaboration resumed nearly a year after a tumultuous scandal that nearly cost the actress her career. In the first campaign, a clever play on the similarity of the words jeans and genes gave rise to the phrase: "Sydney Sweeney has great genes." This wording sparked a wave of outrage: users immediately accused Sweeney of promoting racist and Nazi ideas, as well as supporting eugenics.
For the new photoshoot, Sydney appeared in several stylish looks. She showcases flared jeans paired with a sleek white tank top, as well as denim shorts with trendy frayed edges and a t-shirt. One of the shots captured her in a blue knitted top, casually sitting on the sand, while another image features the actress shining in a light, airy blouse.
This time, the advertising slogan sounds much safer and more playful: "Syd for Short: American Eagle Jean Shorts." The campaign title cleverly plays on the actress's name: "Syd" is a cute abbreviation of Sydney, and "for short" hints at "shorter" or "not tall," which perfectly rhymes with the advertised shorts.
The 'Genes' Scandal Story
It is worth recalling that Sweeney's debut advertising campaign for American Eagle, launched at the end of July 2025, provoked a real storm on social media. At that time, the advertising slogan, playing on the similarity of the English words jeans and genes, proclaimed: "Sydney Sweeney has great genes." Many users immediately saw this as promoting eugenics and racial superiority, especially considering the actress's "Nordic" appearance — blue eyes and blonde hair. The American Eagle brand hastily stated that their advertisement "has always been and remains about jeans," while Sydney herself expressed "surprise" at such a sharp negative reaction in an interview with People. She was pressured to issue a public apology, but the star remained steadfast.
Shortly after this, information surfaced that Sydney was registered as a Republican voter in Florida, which only added fuel to the fire of the scandal. In Hollywood, where Democratic supporters prevail, such political beliefs are met with sharp disapproval. Even Donald Trump weighed in, publicly praising Sweeney and calling her advertisement "hot."
New Waves of Criticism
Recently, Sydney Sweeney found herself at the center of another online "cancellation": this time, users criticized the actress for allegedly sexualizing a child-like image. Prior to this, the legendary Kim Novak, a sex symbol of Hollywood in the 1950s, categorically spoke out against Sweeney's involvement in a biopic about her life, arguing that Sydney "always looks sexualized." Now, there is active discussion online that Zendaya, another star of Euphoria, is striving to distance herself from her scandalous colleague, fearing for her reputation.
Sources of photos: americaneagle, sweeneysgallary, sydneysweeney/Instagram.
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