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Sydney Sweeney is shutting down speculation about her political beliefs, telling Cosmopolitan in a new interview that she’s “always been here to make art.”
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The Euphoria star found herself the centre of a political firestorm last summer when she appeared in an ad for American Eagle that led some people on social media to accuse the actress of promoting racial superiority.
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In one of the American Eagle spots, Sweeney, 28, said, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring,” then turned to the camera and adds, “My jeans are blue.”
Print ads showed the denim-clad actress alongside the slogan, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
As the controversy unfolded, American Eagle defended itself, saying, “‘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.”
Sydney Sweeney in denim jacket and jeans, lying on floor in American Eagle ad campaign. Photo by American Eagle /Instagram
President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance fired back at critics for trying to ignite a “woke” political debate around the ad.
“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get ‘em Sydney,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
But in her new interview with Cosmo, Sweeney clapped back at commentators who have been quick to make judgments about her political leanings and label her as a “MAGA Barbie.”
“I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art, so this is just not a conversation I want to be at the forefront of,” Sweeney told the outlet. “And I think because of that, people want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn. But it’s somebody else assigning something to me, and I can’t control that.”
What are Sydney Sweeney’s political beliefs?
When asked why she won’t address her political stance, Sweeney she hadn’t “figured it out.”
“I’m not a hateful person. If I say, ‘That’s not true,’ they’ll come at me like, ‘You’re just saying that to look better.’ There’s no winning,” she said. “There’s never any winning. I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am. I can’t make everyone love me. I know what I stand for.”
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Sydney Sweeney knows you’re going to have a lot to say about this.
The ‘Euphoria’ breakout turned rom-com hitmaker (and now lingerie entrepreneur) is one of the most talked about figures on the internet—whether she likes it or not. For Cosmo, Sydney talks dating as a celebrity,… pic.twitter.com/ouprYfUPRW
— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) January 29, 2026
Sweeney went on to say that it’s unlikely she’ll ever be the kind of Hollywood star that feels a need to share their political opinions.
“No,” she said when asked if her fans will ever get to hear what she thinks politically. “I’m not a political person. I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics. That’s not an area I’ve ever even imagined getting into. It’s not why I became who I am. I became an actor because I like to tell stories, but I don’t believe in hate in any form. I believe we should all love each other and have respect and understanding for one another.”
One battle after another for Sweeney
Sweeney previously addressed the uproar in an interview with GQ, saying that it was “surreal” to hear Trump getting involved in the fallout.
“I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life,” she said.
“I knew at the end of the day what that ad was for, and it was great jeans, it didn’t affect me one way or the other,” Sweeney said of the turmoil. “I’ve always believed that I’m not here to tell people what to think … when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”
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