Sydney Sweeney is pushing back against the political narrative that has followed her online, saying she has “never been here to talk about politics” and never intended to become a symbol for anyone’s ideology.
The 28-year-old actor, best known for her role on Euphoria, addressed the backlash surrounding her American Eagle jeans campaign in a new cover story for Cosmopolitan. The ad, part of the brand’s “Great Jeans” campaign, sparked controversy over its use of “jeans” as a wordplay on “genes,” which some critics interpreted as echoing eugenics rhetoric — a claim American Eagle has firmly denied.
While critics dissected the ad’s messaging, right-wing online circles quickly rallied around Sweeney, turning her into an unexpected political avatar and assigning her the nickname “Maga Barbie.” The attention escalated after Donald Trump publicly praised the campaign, calling it “the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there” after learning Sweeney was a registered Republican.
“Those aren’t my values,” Sweeney told Cosmopolitan. “But I feel like I’ve never needed to correct people who don’t know who I am.”
Sweeney said it has been deeply uncomfortable to watch others define her beliefs despite her staying silent. “It’s definitely not a comfortable thing to have people saying what you believe or think, especially when that doesn’t align with you,” she said. “It’s been a weird thing having to navigate and digest, because it’s not me. None of it is me.”
The actor explained that being constantly online has made the experience harder, prompting her to pull back for her own mental health. “It’s definitely gone to a level where it’s just not healthy for me to digest it all,” she said.
Sweeney previously touched on the controversy in a November interview with GQ, saying that when she has something to speak about, people will hear it. A month later, she acknowledged to People that her silence may have “widened the divide,” adding that she does not support some of the views people attached to the campaign.
Despite that reflection, Sweeney said she still has no intention of becoming a political voice.
“I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art,” she told Cosmopolitan. “People want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn. But it’s somebody else assigning something to me, and I can’t control that.”
She added that once a narrative takes off, responding can feel like a no-win situation. “People might assume you’re changing your stance just to look better,” she said. “There’s no winning. I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am.”
Sweeney emphasized that her focus remains on storytelling and creativity, not ideology. “I don’t believe in hate in any form,” she said. “I believe we should all love each other and have respect and understanding for one another.”
The actor has also been promoting her upcoming lingerie line, Syrn, though a recent promotional stunt may have landed her in legal hot water after she climbed the Hollywood sign and strung bras across its towering letters — a moment that, much like the jeans ad, ensured the conversation around her would keep going whether she wanted it to or not.
