Why Sydney Sweeney Rubs So Many People the Wrong Way

It would seem actress Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the center of a crossroads. Down one road, she’ll find droves of fans oozing with love and admiration for her (including Donald Trump), and down the other, there’s probably an equally large crowd of people who honestly just don’t like her at all.

Now, to be fair, Sydney is an attractive and talented actress who really climbed her way to the top, landing some pretty notable roles along the way.

She played Eden on The Handmaid’s Tale and really solidified her place on the map as Cassie Howard on HBO’s Euphoria. And she’s only continued to skyrocket from there.

But as her popularity grows, it seems the dislike toward her is growing just as fast. And you’re probably wondering why, maybe because you also feel that subtle hint of “I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about her,” or maybe you just don't understand it at all. Either way, here’s what people are saying.

Let’s start with her 2025 American Eagle jeans ad, or should we say “genes” ad. Sydney Sweeney came under serious fire after the commercial dropped, mainly because many viewers believed she was implying that her genes are superior to others. Meaning her white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, and larger chest were being framed as the “better” genetic traits.

In the commercial, she talks about genes and how they’re passed down, like hair color and eye color. She then says her genes are blue, and the whole thing was interpreted by a lot of people as Sydney literally calling out her own traits as the best, not the American Eagle jeans she was actually supposed to be promoting.

But it goes a little deeper than that. Not only did Sydney get public praise for the commercial from Donald Trump, but she was also reportedly registered as a Republican voter in Florida in 2024, per The Guardian. And plenty of people have linked Trump to fascism, specifically Adolf Hitler.

So when the American Eagle campaign showcased Sydney’s blond hair and blue eyes, the same ones the Nazis put on a pedestal, people started connecting dots.

Simply put, a lot of people believe Sydney was pushing a narrative in the AE jeans commercial, intentional or not, that implied her “genes” are the best.

As Redditor @ayyndrew explained, the media often pushes the idea that racial diversity is good and that men should be open to women of all body types. But then there’s Sydney, who quite literally fits the profile of the “all-American woman,” blond hair, blue eyes, and a big bust. To some people, she “represents men rejecting those alternative beauty standards and embracing what is right/traditional/natural or whatever.” And that comment pulled in 5,000 upvotes, so it clearly struck a chord.

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a woman embracing her own traits and features, that’s not really the issue here. The complaint seems to be that Sydney pushes hers in your face a little too much, and some people just don’t like it. That, plus the fact that she aligns with conservatives only makes people dislike her more.