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\u2019s July release.<\/p>\n
During a new interview with Vanity Fair<\/a>, Sweeney, who plays trailblazing former professional boxer Christy Martin in “Christy,” said she will shut down any questions about the campaign.<\/p>\n “I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it, and I\u2019m not there to talk about jeans,” the “Euphoria” star said. “The movie\u2019s about Christy, and that\u2019s what I\u2019ll be there to talk about.”<\/p>\n SYDNEY SWEENEY IS UNRECOGNIZABLE AS SHE CHANNELS FAMOUS ATHLETE FOR UPCOMING ROLE<\/a><\/p>\n Sydney Sweeney shut down questions about her controversial American Eagle ad as she showed off her physical transformation in her new movie “Christy.” (\u00a0Jose Perez\/Bauer-Griffin\/GC Images; Backgrid)<\/p>\n American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”<\/a> fall denim campaign played on the homophones “jeans” and “genes,” sparking accusations of eugenics.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a promo video posted to the brand\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/a><\/p>\n The ad has since been removed from American Eagle’s social media pages.\u00a0<\/p>\n American Eagle\u00a0released a statement<\/a> on social media last month, writing, “\u2018Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans\u2019 is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We\u2019ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”<\/p>\n A representative for Sweeney did not respond to Fox News Digital’s previous requests for comment on the backlash.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sweeney gained more than 30 pounds to play Christy Martin.\u00a0 (Backgrid\u00a0)<\/p>\n Though Sweeney declined to discuss the ad during her Vanity Fair interview, she was eager to share details about “Christy,”<\/a> which she also co-produced.<\/p>\n “Christy” tells the story of Christy Martin, nicknamed the “Coal Miner\u2019s 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\u2019s troubled relationship with her boxing trainer and husband, Jim Martin (Ben Foster), which involved codependency, drug abuse, financial scandal and 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n AMERICAN EAGLE STOCK JUMPS FOLLOWING TRUMP PRAISE FOR SYDNEY SWEENEY AD<\/a><\/p>\n “I was blown away that her story wasn\u2019t more known on a universal, global level because it\u2019s just one of the most harrowing and inspiring women that I\u2019ve ever met in my entire life,” Sweeney told Vanity Fair.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n The actress<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Despite her experience, Sweeney said that she faced challenges with mastering the boxing skills needed to accurately portray Christy.\u00a0<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0“My stances and a lot of my technique is different than boxing. You square up differently, and, of course, you don\u2019t get brought to the ground \u2014 everything\u2019s on your feet,” “The White Lotus” star said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sweeney revealed that the actors actually hit each other during fight scenes.\u00a0 (Getty Images)<\/p>\n Sweeney revealed that she and the other actors playing boxers were actually hitting each other in the fight scenes, and she sustained concussions and bruises during filming.<\/p>\n “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\u2019s a stunt double or if it\u2019s faking the hits.”<\/p>\n Sweeney also said she spent time with Christy, though she was initially nervous when the former boxer<\/a> visited the set to watch her fight scenes. However, Christy\u2019s encouragement put her at ease.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1200\/675\/sydney-sweeney-american-eagle-christy2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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