Sydney Sweeney shuts down questions about American Eagle jeans controversy at film festival

Sydney Sweeney has shut down any discussion of her American Eagle jeans controversy in a new interview.

In July, the Euphoria star drew criticism for her involvement in the American Eagle Jeans campaign, which many online have accused of having racially charged undertones. Both Lizzo and Doja Cat have criticised the campaign, while Sweeney was heckled at a recent film premiere, with an onlooker shouting: “Stop the ad, that is being racist!”

American Eagle released a statement in early August, saying: “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story”. The commercial received praise from US President Donald Trump, who also expressed delight at the news that Sweeney was registered as a Republican supporter at the last election.

Sweeney is yet comment publicly on the ad campaign, and did not wish to discuss it while promoting her new film, boxing biopic Christy. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, she opened by emphasising she would not be talking about the controversy. “I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it, and I’m not there to talk about jeans,” she said. “The movie’s about Christy, and that’s what I’ll be there to talk about.”

Scheduled for a November 7 release in the US, and set to have its world premiere today (September 5) at the Toronto Film Festival, Christy tells the story of real-life boxer Christy Martin, who became one of the most prominent female athletes in America from 1989 to 2012. The star revealed she gained over 30 pounds for the title role.

There is no UK release date announced as yet for Christy, although it will be one of the gala screenings at this year’s London Film Festival on October 17.

Recently, Sweeney hit back at critics of another of her endorsements, pointing out what she perceives as the hypocrisy of people criticising her for selling soap infused with her own bathwater.

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