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Sydney Sweeney Says American Eagle Backlash ‘Didn’t Affect’ Her in First Public Comments

Her GQ interview follows a summer “genes” tagline dispute that drew accusations of racial coding from critics.

Overview

  • In a GQ cover story, Sweeney says she chose not to issue a statement at the time because she is “not here to tell people what to think.”
  • She calls comments from President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance “surreal” and says she largely ignored the uproar while working long days on Euphoria.
  • Sweeney disputes reports of declining store traffic as “made up,” saying she monitored results during American Eagle’s quiet period as shares climbed.
  • American Eagle executives have praised the campaign’s performance, with CEO Jay Schottenstein citing billions of impressions and stronger sales.
  • The company has defended the “great jeans/genes” creative, which included a genetics line that triggered online claims of eugenics.