Glen Powell has addressed the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney, which stemmed from her American Eagle Jeans ad, which was accused of promoting eugenics following its wordplay on jeans/genes. Although most Hollywood celebrities have opted to remain silent on it, including Sweeney herself, who refused to address the controversy altogether.
Her Anyone But You co-star, however, has decided to weigh in, as he took a dig at the media for blowing the situation out of proportion (via The Guardian).
Look, in an era in which businesses are evolving and are seeing their mortality in front of them, sometimes they are desperate to make anything run. Whether it’s true or not, whether it hurts anyone – there is no accountability any more.
Considering the two share a close bond behind the scenes, which stemmed from their work on Anyone But You, it’s not surprising to see Powell coming to Sweeney’s defence in these tumultuous times.
Glen Powell Deems the Sydney Sweeney Controversy Bullsh-t
In addition to calling out the media for making this issue bigger than it had to be, he further reflected on why most of Hollywood has remained silent on the discourse, which had the entire nation divided.
While Powell initially thought others did speak out on the controversy, when he was told this wasn’t the case, the Top Gun: Maverick star responded, “But I think people are aware that it’s bullsh-t,”. Expanding on it, Powell explained that even if something’s false, any attempt to set the record straight would only fire back, which explains the silence on Sweeney’s part.
You can’t get caught up in it — it has nothing to do with you, it has to do with ad dollars. And, you know, there is no course-correcting. If something’s false, you’re not actually setting the record straight, you’re just feeding the beast. That’s why I don’t say s*** — just let it come, and let it go. Not feeding the beast and not trying to fight anything. I’ve realised the smart people in Hollywood don’t try to fight anything that has nothing to do with them
The controversy hasn’t hindered the prospect of their potential reunion in the future, as both remain open to the idea of a sequel to Anyone But You.
Why Sydney Sweeney’s Great Jeans Ad Divided The Internet
The American Eagle ad in itself wasn’t the most controversial part. Although the eugenics allegations weren’t pretty, it was the latter events that escalated the entire thing. From Donald Trump jumping in to claim (via BBC) Sweeney had the hottest ad out there, to the revelation that Sweeney is a Republican voter (via The Guardian), the entire thing became an electric pole for the culture war discourse.
It also didn’t help that GAP released its own Denim ad, featuring KATSEYE, which was celebrated for being an antithesis to the American Eagle ad. To Sweeney’s credit, she has opted to stay silent about the entire controversy.
Although the actor has had a rough run so far with her movies this year, which have underperformed at the box office, it’ll be interesting to see if the upcoming biopic, Christy, can turn the tide for the Euphoria star.
Do you think the entire controversy was blown out of proportion? Comment below!
Christy will release on November 7, 2025 (US).
