Sydney Sweeney's 'Good Jeans' Ad Causes Outrage, Ted Cruz Weighs In

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz Speaks Out on Controversial American Eagle Ad Featuring Sydney Sweeney

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has come to the defense of actress Sydney Sweeney following backlash over a recent American Eagle advertisement, criticizing what he calls the "crazy left" for targeting the star for her appearance in what some argue could be interpreted as Nazi propaganda.

In response to the ad, Cruz took to social media platform X, writing, “Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well.” His comments reflect the growing controversy surrounding the commercial, which has sparked both praise and criticism from the public.

The ad features Sweeney, known for her roles in White Lotus and Euphoria, promoting a denim line she collaborated on with American Eagle. In the video, she delivers a series of lines that have drawn scrutiny. One particularly controversial line states, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring. Often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” before adding, “My jeans are blue. Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

Critics argue that the use of a white, blue-eyed actress paired with language about “great genes” may be seen as a veiled reference to eugenics—a discredited belief system that was infamously used by Nazis to justify genocide. The ad also includes Sweeney mocking auditions for the campaign, where she claims to be from Spokane, Washington, and shows her profile to the camera.

Sweeney has provided a softer interpretation of the ad in a press release, stating that American Eagle has been with her through “every version of myself.” However, some critics, including Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian, have called the ad regressive, noting how it has sparked intense online discussion. Tashjian wrote, “The line about her having great jeans—several people are suggesting in the comments on Instagram and TikTok that this is a 'pro-eugenics ad.' Whether or not that's the case, it is part of a wave of imagery of influencers, pop stars and musicians that feels tethered to the values of another time.”

Shane O’Neil, writer for the Washington Post Style Memo newsletter, highlighted a similar concern, referencing a recent post by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Instagram account featuring an “explicitly racist” painting. He wrote, “When this is the imagery being promoted by our government, a pun about 'genes' hits differently.”

This is not the first time Sweeney has faced political backlash. In 2022, she was criticized after photos of her mother’s 60th birthday party surfaced, showing attendees wearing items associated with Blue Lives Matter and “Make America Great Again.” Sweeney addressed the issue at the time, asking critics to “stop making assumptions” and expressing frustration that “nothing I say can help the conversation.”

In a later interview with Variety, she clarified that the individuals in the photos were not her family but rather her mother’s friends from Los Angeles. She explained that they wore the items as a joke, thinking it would be funny given the context of the party.

Despite the ongoing debate, Sweeney has not publicly commented on the latest controversy. Supporters of the actress have criticized those who are taking issue with the ad, while others have taken a more aggressive stance, with some joking that “the people who hate these ads can't fit into American Eagle jeans.” Others have argued that if Sweeney had a nose ring, purple hair, and weighed 300 pounds, the ad would be praised for its diversity and inclusivity.

As the conversation continues, the ad remains a focal point of public discourse, highlighting broader issues around representation, messaging, and the power of social media in shaping public opinion.