After months of silence followed by an uncomfortable interview with GQ magazine, actor Sydney Sweeney has finally addressed her controversial American Eagle advertisement head-on.<\/p>\n
In an interview with People magazine published Friday, the \u201cEuphoria\u201d star said she regrets not addressing the polarizing ad campaign sooner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m against hate and divisiveness,\u201d the 28-year-old told the publication. \u201cIn the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
American Eagle launched the ad campaign, titled \u201cSydney Sweeney has great jeans,\u201d in July. One of the ads shows Sweeney zipping up her denim jeans while lounging on top of a car.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,\u201d she says. \u201cMy jeans are blue.\u201d<\/p>\n
The blond-haired, blue-eyed actor\u2019s play on the words \u201cgenes\u201d and \u201cjeans\u201d drew fierce backlash, with some accusing American Eagle of promoting eugenics<\/a>, \u201cwhite supremacy\u201d <\/a>and \u201cNazi propaganda<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweeney told People, in an interview tied to her new movie \u201cThe Housemaid,\u201d also starring Amanda Seyfried, that she \u201cwas honestly surprised by the reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don\u2019t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign,\u201d she said. \u201cMany have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren\u2019t true.\u201d<\/p>\n