Actress Sydney Sweeney Declines to Engage in American Eagle Ad Debate While Promoting Biopic

Sidestepping the Spat Over “Jeans”

September 5, 2025: At the Toronto International Film Festival, Sydney Sweeney was eager to put the spotlight solely on her new film Christy. She firmly shut down questions about her recent American Eagle campaign—the now-controversial “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” ad—asserting, “I’m not there to talk about jeans.” Her focus, she emphasized, is “to support my movie and the people involved in making it.”

Christy: The Real Conversation

Christy—Sweeney’s latest project—premiers this weekend at TIFF. In it, she embodies boxing legend Christy Martin, who rose to fame in the 1990s amid both triumph and trauma. Sweeney gained over 30 pounds and endured full-contact fight scenes to authentically portray Martin’s physical and emotional struggles.

Controversy in the Rearview Mirror

The ad campaign in question came under fire for its pun on “jeans” vs. “genes,” with critics suggesting an unintended nod toward eugenics—especially troubling given the model’s traits and historical implications. Despite backlash, American Eagle defended the campaign as purely product-centric and noted that it resulted in record-breaking sales and unprecedented engagement.

Sweeney Keeps Her Eyes on the Prize

Rather than becoming embroiled in the controversy, Sweeney continues to champion her acting work. With a powerful role, bold physical transformation, and emotionally charged narrative, Christy represents the kind of project she’d rather let speak for itself. Her steadfast refusal to address the jeans controversy underlines her commitment to being seen as an artist—not a marketing prop.