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Glen Powell has addressed the controversy surrounding his friend and former co-star Sydney Sweeney regarding her American Eagle jeans advert, which garnered unwanted attention earlier this year. Titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” the ads featuring the Euphoria star in the brand’s denim were widely criticized, with people comparing the phrase to the racist language of eugenicists due to wordplay on “jeans” and “genes.” In a new interview with The Guardian, Powell — who starred alongside Sweeney in the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You — was asked why no one in Hollywood defended the actor publicly. “I think people weighed in on it,” Powell argued; however, interviewer Marina Hyde disagreed, saying Sweeney was left to “twist in the wind.” “But I think people are aware that it’s bulls***,” Powell said. In an apparent jab at the media firestorm surrounding the controversy, he continued: “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.” Asked if he tries to avoid public discourse because it may distract from his work, Powell responded: “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.” While critics accused the American Eagle ad of playing into eugenic ideals, that some genetic qualities are better than others, MAGA supporters quickly came to Sweeney’s defence. President Donald Trump even defended Sweeney, writing on Truth Social: “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there.” (Public voting records revealed Sweeney is a registered voter with the Republican Party in Florida.) In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, published last month, American Eagle CEO Jay Schottenstein stated that he instructed executives and employees to remain calm and refrain from commenting on their July ad campaign. “You can’t run from fear,” he said. “We stand behind what we did.” While the brand defended Sweeney, the actor herself has not commented on the controversy. During the premiere of her new film, Christy, at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, she shut down a question about the commercial, declaring that she would only discuss the movie. American Eagle will continue with Sweeney as their brand ambassador for the rest of the year.
