Sydney Sweeney’s Brother Shrugs Off American Eagle Ad Uproar
Avery Sinclair here. Another day, another disappointment. Let’s dive in.
Sydney Sweeney’s younger brother, Trent Sweeney, couldn’t be less fazed by the kerfuffle surrounding her latest American Eagle jeans campaign. While most supporters are busy taking sides on social media, the 25-year-old U.S. Air Force staff sergeant decided to celebrate his own milestone instead of fueling the fire.
On Wednesday, Trent posted a snapshot of his promotion certificate on his Instagram Story, accompanied by the caption, “It’s them good jeans -” cheekily referencing his sister’s tagline without missing a beat. He followed up with a formal post showing him in uniform receiving the award. “I’m excited for this next step in my career and thank everyone that’s been a part of it so far,” he wrote, earning a like from Sydney, 27, who’s been vocal about her tight-knit family bond.
The actress behind the hit series Euphoria has often praised her upbringing. In a 2023 interview with Women’s Health, she said, “I love my family, and I love where I came from. Anything my family needs, I’m always there for them,” a sentiment that clearly extends to Trent’s current low-key stance on the ad backlash.
The whole drama ignited when American Eagle rolled out a spot featuring Sydney explaining how “genes” determine traits like hair color and personality, before delivering the punchline: “My jeans are blue.” Critics on the left slammed the pun-heavy campaign as veering into eugenics territory and accused the brand of echoing Western beauty standards tied to questionable ideology. American Eagle’s chief marketing officer did warn trade press that the “provocative language” was designed to provoke, and provoke it did.
By the time the brand issued a statement defending its creative choices—“This campaign is about the jeans. Her jeans. Her narrative. Great jeans flatter everyone.”—the digital mob was already in full tilt. Even former President Trump chimed in, calling the ad “fantastic” once he learned Sydney is a registered Republican. Ohio Senator JD Vance joined the chorus, accusing Democrats of overreacting to “a pretty girl selling jeans to kids in America.”
Sydney herself has remained mum amid the uproar, opting for silence over further headlines. Her first public appearance since the ad’s release came at a screening of her upcoming film Americana in Los Angeles. There, a disgruntled attendee reportedly heckled her to “stop the ad, that is being racist,” per TMZ. Sydney chose diplomacy over debate and slipped away without comment.
So there you have it: a military cert for Trent, a viral jeans ad for Sydney, and a tidal wave of hot takes that may or may not matter in a week.
Stay tuned—this saga’s only heating up.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Women’s Health, TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
