Sydney Sweeney is back with a denim-filled Instagram update, arriving just weeks after her controversial American Eagle ad divided the internet. The Euphoria star leaned into her signature style, showing fans she hasn’t stepped away from blue jeans despite the online chatter.
Sydney Sweeney shows off her blue jeans in new Instagram post
On Friday, Sydney Sweeney dropped a carousel of photos captioned “duval diaries.” Sweeney wore oversized blue jeans with a white lace-front crop top while enjoying a night out with friends.
The post showed her kicking up a leg in a playful pose, singing karaoke with a friend, and dancing in the crowded venue. Another picture was her holding a tray of drinks as her friends beamed at the camera. Fans flooded the comments, some supporting her while others criticised with puns and more. After all, her return to Instagram is her first denim-clad post since the release of American Eagle’s fall campaign, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
The American Eagle campaign, launched last month, attempted to play on the pun “great genes” versus “great jeans.” In one ad, Sweeney crossed out “Genes” on a billboard and replaced it with “Jeans.” Another featured her saying, “My jeans are blue,” as the camera zoomed in on her blue eyes.
But the playful wordplay got massive backlash. Many online called the ads “tone-deaf,” arguing that the slogan echoed outdated ideas of genetic superiority often tied to race, beauty, and eugenics. Critics pointed out that using a blonde, blue-eyed actress as the face of the campaign only reinforced the uncomfortable undertones. Others, however, defended the brand, praising the campaign for poking fun at “woke” culture and keeping the focus on denim rather than politics.
Despite the backlash, American Eagle saw a surprising spike in its stock, jumping as much as 17% in the days following the campaign’s debut (via Northeastern Global News). Analysts attributed the rise to meme stock behavior, with online buzz from platforms like Reddit and Stocktwits fueling the surge rather than traditional retail performance. However, the company reportedly suffered losses following the backlash.
Sweeney has yet to comment publicly on the controversy.
