Sydney Sweeney Shares Why She’s Not Responding to American Eagle Jeans Controversy
Sydney Sweeney has great… planning skills?
Ahead of the White Lotus alum’s arrival at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 5, she revealed her goal to focus solely on Christy, her new biopic about boxer Christy Martin, and avoid discussions of her controversial American Eagle jeans ad.
“I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it,” Sydney told Vanity Fair in an interview published Sept. 4. “I’m not there to talk about jeans.”
She added, “The movie’s about Christy, and that’s what I’ll be there to talk about.”
While the 27-year-old may be hopeful to keep the conversation centered on her film about the boxer—set to make its world premiere at TIFF—fans are eager to hear her take on the “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign, which was released in July and played with the homophones “jeans” and “genes” while referencing the actress’ blonde hair and blue eyes.
Though Sydney—who recently started casually dating Scooter Braun—has yet to address the controversy, American Eagle responded to the uproar last month by standing their ground.
“‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the company wrote in an Instagram statement Aug. 1. “Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Plus, the clothing brand recently touted “the success of recent marketing campaigns with Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce,” which they said generated 40 billion impressions and “meaningful improvement in the business,” per The Hollywood Reporter. According to the brand, all of the products associated with the “Good Jeans” campaign sold out within a week, with many of them selling out within a day.
“Sydney Sweeney sells great jeans,” American Eagle chief marketing officer Craig Brommers said on a Sept. 3 earnings call with investors. “The American Eagle Sydney Sweeney campaign was intended to be a brand and business reset, and it was.”
Ahead of Sydney’s arrival at TIFF to promote Christy, read on to see the dramatic transformation she made for the role.
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Blonde No More
Sydney Sweeney showcased her newly darkened locks while on set in North Carolina for her next film. In the yet-untitled project, the Euphoria star will portray boxing legend Christy Martin, a Hall of Famer who married her former boxing coach James Martin.
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On-set Strolls
For the role, Sydney traded in her signature blonde hair for a neck-length brunette ‘do held back by a navy bandana. She also donned a baggy, zip-up sweatshirt in a navy shade, worn with a yellow-brown T-shirt, dark sweatpants and white sneakers.
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A Euphoric Outfit Change
The 27-year-old later donned oversized, knee-length, gray sweat shorts and a light blue tee, while channeling Christy on set.
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Ben Foster Also Appears Unrecognizable
Sydney’s costar in the film Ben Foster—he’ll play James—similarly underwent a major transformation. The Leave No Trace star, who normally rocks a beard, walked on set clean shaven and with a blonde wig. He wore a light blue polo shirt and navy sweatpants while carrying a brown duffel bag.
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An Immaculate Third Look
Seen from behind, Sydney walked on set in another set of athletic gear. This time, she wore baggy, maroon athletic shorts and a blue-and-white windbreaker.
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Ben Foster Has An Outfit Change
Ben, who shares two children with wife and That ’70s Show alum Laura Prepon, changed into a yellow and white striped polo and navy sweatpants for his role as James.
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Getting in Character
“I am a very hands-on collaborator,” Sydney told The Los Angeles Times in March 2024. “I like being able to give ideas, be a part of it, help come up with solutions. It just changes the whole process. It’s so hard for me now to be on a set and not be able to help in any type of way and be able to take action. And being able to actually have a voice and have a valued opinion—it means so much.”
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Doing Herself Proud
For The White Lotus alum, keeping a packed schedule is not something she shies away from. In fact, she’s always looking forward to what’s next.
“I look up to the older version of myself,” she told Women’s Health in 2023. “When I was 10, I looked up to the 25-year-old version of myself, and now I look up to my 50-year-old version. I hope I make the decisions she would be proud of.”
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