Overview

• American Eagle said on August 1 that the “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign was always about denim, reaffirming it will celebrate wearers’ confidence without apology.
• The retailer highlighted its charitable pledge by directing all proceeds from the limited-edition “Sydney Jean” capsule to Crisis Text Line for domestic violence and mental health support.
• Vice President JD Vance and White House communications director Steven Cheung publicly mocked critics, portraying objections as examples of cancel culture overreach.
• Social media users accused the pun on “genes” versus “jeans” and Sweeney’s blonde, blue-eyed imagery of evoking eugenics and Nazi propaganda.
• Sydney Sweeney has remained publicly silent on the controversy as coverage continues across outlets of varying political perspectives.