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Sydney Sweeney is back in the news as she finally breaks her Instagram silence in the wake of her American Eagle PR storm. The actress, 27, made global headlines on July 31 as her “Sydney has good jeans” campaign sparked mass backlash, and it’s been all about Sydney ever since.
While the campaign, which included the Hollywood star saying that she has “good genes,” sparked allegations of white supremacy to the point of the White House getting involved, Sydney has yet to speak about the matter. The blonde has remained silent while American Eagle defends its campaign, but she’s now made a move on her social media. On Wednesday, The White Lotus star updated her account for the first time since dropping her debut American Eagle video. Her share had nothing to do with the clothing label, but it did prove that she’s still willing to post. The response, however, was frosty from the start as some fans proved they’ve already turned on her.
Sydney Sweeney Breaks Instagram Silence After American Eagle Drama
Shouting out her upcoming Americana movie, Sydney steered clear of addressing the controversy over her American Eagle ad, which is still live on her Instagram.
Sharing stills from the movie that’s due for release tomorrow, August 15, the Miu Miu ambassador opened with a close-up of her face as she sat in a vehicle. Rocking curled hair as she smiled a little and gazed ahead, Sydney slipped into her Penny Jo character. In a caption to a gallery including more stills from the flick, she wrote: “A few years ago I filmed this little movie with some friends and now you get to meet penny jo.”
Frosty Reception Amid American Eagle Anger
While the post netted over 700,000 likes and earned celebrity approval from Mad Men star January Jones and Netflix face Jamie-Lynn Spears, it didn’t look like fans had forgotten Sydney’s latest ad campaign. “Forgot I was still following you,” one said, with another stating that they “wouldn’t be watching it.”
The ad, which debuted American Eagle’s “Sydney has good jeans” campaign, caused global outrage after the company played on its own words to have Sydney saying she has “good genes.” Sydney being white and blonde didn’t go down well on the inclusivity front. In fact, it quickly sparked allegations of racism and even white supremacy. Sydney has not made a statement amid the backlash, although American Eagle has. Earlier this month, the brand stood its ground, stating:
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.” It added that jeans “look good on everyone.”