Vague Denial Sparks Backlash As Sydney Sweeney Scrambles To Save Her Third 2025 Box Office Flop
After months of controversy — from backlash over a polarizing American Eagle jeans ad to a muted response to recent outings — Anyone But You star Sydney Sweeney is speaking out to reset her image.
It has been a messy PR year for Sydney Sweeney. After months of people picking apart that American Eagle jeans ad and reading way more into it than a pun, she finally spoke up. The timing? Right as new projects inch closer. Subtle, it is not.
The ad, the backlash, and the year of side-eye
Quick rewind: earlier in 2025, American Eagle rolled out a campaign with the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.' Internet discourse did what it does, and some folks decided it was really winking at 'great genes' and even pushing white-nationalist ideas. Variety rounded up the ugliest version of that claim, with people tossing around 'Nazi propaganda' accusations. Meanwhile, Sweeney's recent outings have landed with a thud for a chunk of the audience, and the whole thing turned into a long, weird slow burn.
Sweeney finally responds
In a new chat with People, Sweeney says she did the American Eagle spot because she actually likes the brand and, you know, wears jeans. She also pushed back on the heavy stuff, making it clear she does not endorse anything hateful.
"I do not support the views some people chose to connect to that campaign. ... I am against hate and divisiveness."
She admits she stayed quiet at first to let it blow over, but now thinks that keeping her head down just made the gap wider.
The internet reaction (not great)
Her comments did not settle things. On Reddit and elsewhere, plenty of people are convinced the timing is strategic: some pointed to an HBO 'Euphoria' Season 3 promo push coming up, others noted she has a movie on deck and guessed this was the last possible moment to address it. One user argued she could have nipped this in the bud months ago with a quick 'I do not support white nationalism' statement. Another said Hollywood overcorrected when 'Anyone But You' made money without a franchise behind it, and then cast Sweeney and Glenn Powell in everything.
About that next movie: The Housemaid
All of this could spill over into her next release, 'The Housemaid,' which has not exactly been catching fire with casual moviegoers yet. The project itself has interesting ingredients, though, and a very specific release plan.
- Title: The Housemaid
- Genre: Psychological thriller
- Director: Paul Feig
- Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried
- Based on: Freida McFadden's 2022 novel
- Premise: Sweeney plays a young woman working as a live-in housemaid for a wealthy family
- U.S. theatrical release: December 19, 2025 (yes, the date listed is 2025; if you saw 'this year' elsewhere, that seems to be a mix-up)
- Distributor: Lionsgate
- After theaters: Expected TV window in early to mid-2026
- Likely streaming homes: Lionsgate Play, plus availability on Amazon Prime Video and AMC+
Where this lands
Sweeney says she likes the brand, rejects the labels, and wants less division. The internet thinks the statement showed up exactly when her calendar needed it. Both things can be true. The real test is whether audiences show up for 'The Housemaid' on December 19, 2025, or decide they are still not in the mood.