Sydney Sweeney "Denies Intent of Hate and Discrimination in Jeans Ad"…First Clarification on Racism Controversy

American actress Sydney Sweeney (28) recently broke her silence regarding the jeans ad that sparked a racism controversy and officially stated her position for the first time. In an interview with the American entertainment media 'People' on the 6th, Sweeney made it clear that she does not support any discriminatory views.

Sweeney stated, "I simply shot the ad because I like the jeans and the brand," and emphasized, "I do not agree at all with the views trying to connect the ad to anything else." She, who enjoys wearing jeans, expressed, "I was honestly surprised by the controversial reactions," adding, "Many people attached false motives and labels to me."

She emphasized that anyone who knows her would recognize her efforts to bring people together, stating, "I oppose hate and division." Sweeney also explained the reasons for her previous silence and the background of her statement.

Sweeney said, "In the past, it was my principle not to respond to media reports, whether positive or negative," and added, "I recently realized that my silence in this matter has actually deepened the division in public opinion rather than preventing it." She continued, "I hope that in the new year, we can focus more on what connects us rather than what divides us."

The clothing brand American Eagle sparked controversy in July when it used the phrase "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans" in an ad featuring Sweeney as the model. This is presumed to be a noise marketing strategy that plays on the similarity in pronunciation between 'jeans' and 'genes.' Some criticized it as a phrase implying 'eugenic white supremacy.'

The controversy intensified when President Donald Trump posted on social media, "Republican Sydney Sweeney has the hottest ad out there," and added, "Jeans are selling like hotcakes. Keep it up, Sydney."

In fact, the jeans that Sweeney modeled recorded high sales, with some products even selling out. American Eagle reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of 45 cents, significantly exceeding the market forecast of 21 cents due to this ad.

On the other hand, the film 〈Americana〉 starring Sweeney showed poor box office performance after its release in August. Currently, Sweeney is focusing on promoting the upcoming film 〈Housemaid〉 in which she stars alongside Amanda Seyfried, set to be released next year.