Sydney Sweeney made it clear she doesn’t plan to comment on the backlash surrounding her American Eagle “Great Jeans” campaign.
On Sept. 5, the 27-year-old actress will attend the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of her new biographical sports drama, “Christy.” It will mark her first public appearance since her American Eagle ad drew backlash after the campaign’s July release.
During a new interview with Vanity Fair, Sweeney — who plays trailblazing former professional boxer Christy Martin in “Christy” — said she will shut down any questions about the campaign.
“I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it, and I’m not there to talk about jeans,” the “Euphoria” star said. “The movie’s about Christy, and that’s what I’ll be there to talk about.”
American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” fall denim campaign played on the homophones “jeans” and “genes,” sparking accusations of eugenics.
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In a promo video posted to the brand’s Instagram, Sweeney walks toward an AE billboard featuring her and the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.” She crosses out “Genes” and replaces it with “Jeans” before walking away.
In another ad, Sweeney lies down and fastens her jeans while saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.” The camera pans up to her blue eyes, and she adds, “My jeans are blue.”
Some critics called the campaign “tone-deaf” over alleged racial undertones, while others praised Sweeney for rejecting “woke” advertising. Former President Trump also weighed in, saying that the ad campaign was “fantastic.”
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The ad has since been removed from American Eagle’s social media pages.
American Eagle released a statement on social media last month, writing, “‘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. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
A representative for Sweeney did not respond to Fox News Digital’s previous requests for comment on the backlash.
Though Sweeney declined to discuss the ad during her Vanity Fair interview, she was eager to share details about “Christy,” which she also co-produced.
“Christy” tells the story of Christy Martin, nicknamed the “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and her rise from small-town West Virginia to becoming one of the most recognizable female boxers of the 1990s. The film also explores Martin’s troubled relationship with her boxing trainer and husband, Jim Martin (Ben Foster), which involved codependency, drug abuse, financial scandal, and both physical and psychological violence. Christy’s tale is also one of survival as she narrowly escaped with her life after Jim attempted to murder her in 2010.
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“I was blown away that her story wasn’t more known on a universal, global level because it’s just one of the most harrowing and inspiring women that I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Sweeney told Vanity Fair.
While speaking with the outlet, Sweeney shared that her physical transformation for the role included working with a nutritionist to gain more than 30 pounds. Sweeney also practiced boxing for several hours every day for three months in addition to weight training.
“I felt very strong and powerful,” Sweeney said. “I loved it. Being able to lose myself to become a vessel for somebody else is my dream.”
The actress explained that she already had a background in combat sports, having trained in jujitsu, grappling and kickboxing during her teenage years, and had always wanted a more physically demanding role.
Despite her experience, Sweeney said that she faced challenges with mastering the boxing skills needed to accurately portray Christy.
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“My stances and a lot of my technique is different than boxing. You square up differently, and of course you don’t get brought to the ground — everything’s on your feet,” “The White Lotus” star said.
Sweeney revealed that she and the other actors playing boxers were actually hitting each other in the fight scenes, and she suffered concussions and bruises during filming,.
“Every single fight you see, we are actually punching each other. We are going full force,” Sweeney said. “I always believed that you would not be able to make it feel real if it’s a stunt double or if it’s faking the hits.”
Sweeney also said she spent time with Christy, though she was initially nervous when the former boxer visited the set to watch her fight scenes. However, Christy’s encouragement put her at ease.
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“She’s cheering you on and she’s yelling, ‘hit him with the hook!’ as if she’s actually watching a fight,” Sweeney said. “And I’m like, ‘Christy, you know what’s going to happen.’ And she goes, ‘Yeah, but I’m still invested in this!’ It was such a fun experience.”
