Senator Ted Cruz is standing up for actress Sydney Sweeney amid mounting controversy surrounding her new American Eagle ad campaign. After social media users accused the campaign of promoting eugenics and white ideology, Cruz dismissed the criticism as another example of liberal overreach, this time, targeting beauty itself.
The 54-year-old Senator posted to his X account on Tuesday (July 29) in response to a New York Post article examining the backlash.“Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women,” he wrote. “I’m sure that will poll well….”
Cruz later elaborated on his views during an appearance on Fox News. “This week the Democrats have decided, with the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad, that they hate beautiful women,” he said. “That’s just a little nuts for them to say, ‘I’m sorry, we’re the Democrats. Beautiful women are no longer acceptable in our society.”
He joins a growing list of conservative defenders of the ad, including Fox News host Megyn Kelly, 54, and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, 43.
Sweeney, known for her breakout role as Cassie Howard on HBO’s Euphoria, has come under fire for a denim campaign many say contains dog whistles to white supremacist ideologies.
The ad plays on the words “genes” and “jeans.” In it, Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.” A narrator then adds the campaign’s tagline: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
Critics have likened the ad to a modern take on Brooke Shields’ infamous 1980 Calvin Klein campaign, but with darker undertones. Some viewers alleged the campaign’s language subtly glorifies racial purity.
Doja Cat was one of the celebrities to wade into the Sydney Sweeney ad drama, and she did not hold back her sarcasm. The singer delivered her own dramatic spin on controversial jeans ad. Poking fun at it, she posted a TikTok where she recites in the viral clip, using an exaggerated backwoods-style accent. And the video has racked up over 10 million views.
Watch Doja Cat make fun of the controversial ad
Style Analytics, a fashion and culture commentary platform, claimed in an Instagram post that Sweeney’s calling her genes/jeans “blue” hints at “blue blood,” a term historically associated with whiteness and aristocracy. “This is just one way brands have recently been attempting to placate conservatives.”
The brand breaks silence
American Eagle has finally addressed the backlash over its viral Sydney Sweeney campaign with an official statement, following weeks of online debate that drew reactions from the White House to Stephen Colbert.
On Friday evening, the brand posted, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”