Sydney Sweeney was criticized and heckled during her new film’s premiere as backlash over her American Eagle ad campaign continued to boil.
The actress arrived for the Americana red carpet premiere in Los Angeles wearing a custom yellow gown, but her outfit was met with strong reactions.
Online, some users mocked her style and referenced American Eagle’s controversial “jeans” ad, while others defended her fashion choice.
Sydney Sweeney critics took aim at her red carpet look and styling
Image credits: sydney_sweeney / Instagram
Sweeney’s butter-yellow Danielle Frankel gown at the Americana premiere at Desert 5 Spot in Hollywood sparked mixed reactions the moment the photos hit social media.
Styled by Molly Dickson, a creative who also worked on the American Eagle ad campaign, Sweeney’s look featured a corset-style bodice, a tulle skirt, and a thick headband, according to Page Six.
Image credits: americaneagle / Instagram
Fashion account @checkthetag posted the look, prompting an avalanche of sarcastic comments, many of which criticized Sweeney’s appearance and outfit.
Some mocked American Eagle’s controversial tagline, writing things like, “Who’s responsible for her bad fashion genes” and “genes with a bad taste.”
Image credits: Emma McIntyre / Getty Images
“Are you auditioning for Oklahoma?” another commenter joked, referencing a scene in Euphoria Season 2 when Sweeney’s character wore a country bumpkin getup.
Others also joked that her stylist probably did not agree with Sweeney’s political leanings, considering that the actress was recently revealed to be a registered Republican.
Image credits: Steve Granitz / Getty Images
“Whoever styled her found out she’s a Republican lol,” the commenter wrote.
Some netizens, however, defended Sweeney, stating that while the headband used in her outfit could be questionable, it was not worth the outrage.
“The dress is pretty, not sure about the headband. We wore ones like that to school in the sixties,” one commenter wrote.
“Nothing wrong with her outfit,” another stated.
Image credits: glencocoforhair / Instagram
“As a man, I think she looks stunning!! Better than these i**ots that get around seeing how little they can wear just to get attention!!” another commenter wrote.
Sweeney also encountered a heckler during the Americana premiere
Image credits: glencocoforhair / Instagram
Sydney Sweeney did not just receive criticism from netizens during the premiere of Americana.
As she stepped out of her car, an unidentified woman in the crowd yelled, “Stop the ad, that is being racist!”
Sweeney didn’t react. She walked towards the movie house without responding to the heckler as security quickly ushered her inside without incident, according to TMZ.
She later posed for photos with co-stars Halsey and Simon Rex, as well as director Tony Tost, appearing calm and composed despite her encounter with the heckler.
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Netizens have shared their support for Sweeney, with some stating that the actress, or American Eagle for that matter, did not do anything wrong.
“You have to be a special kind of loser to follow a celebrity to a premier just to heckle them,” one commenter wrote.
Image credits: American Eagle
“Imagine heckling someone because they have better jeans than you do,” another joked.
“It’s funny how people get mad over another’s views then feel it’s ok to be a bully about it. As though they are superior because of their views,” another commenter stated.
Image credits: americaneagle / Instagram
Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad was accused of having racist undertones
American Eagle’s controversial Sydney Sweeney ad campaign is pretty straightforward.
Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/tDkeGT9R7G
— Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) July 24, 2025
In the video, she calmly narrated that “genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The play on words was likely meant to be cheeky, playing on the homophone of “jeans” and “genes” and the fact that Sweeney has a very strong male following.
Image credits: americaneagle / Instagram
Critics, however, quickly accused the brand of alluding to white supremacy.
Some critics alleged that the ad campaign was “modern day N*zi propaganda.”
Image credits: American Eagle / YouTube
Some reacted even more strongly, claiming that Sydney Sweeney’s initials (S.S.) were a reference to “ethnic cleansing.”
Though the backlash was strong, the brand later doubled down on its messaging.
Image credits: sweeneydailyx / X
“‘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,” the brand noted.
Social media users shared their reactions to Sydney Sweeney’s attire at the Americana premiere
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