What’s Next for Sydney Sweeney After American Eagle Jeans Controversy?

Published

1 month ago

August 15, 2025

‘Tis the season of Sydney Sweeney. It just now comes with an asterisk.

The two-time Emmy nominated actress, producer, Ford aficionado and booked-and-busy brand partner is revving up for the busiest run of a still rising career. On the heels of a meaty role opposite Oscar winner Julianne Moore in the Apple TV+ movie Echo Valley, Sweeney has two films in theaters on back-to-back weekends in August: Tony Tost’s Americana followed a week later by Ron Howard’s period thriller Eden opposite Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby and Daniel Brühl.

September delivers an anticipated Toronto International Film Festival world premiere for a big swing as a queer boxer in David Michod’s biopic Christy, which she also produced, followed by Paul Feig’s psychological thriller The Housemaid opposite Amanda Seyfried. Early footage of the latter film electrified CinemaCon audiences when it debuted in Las Vegas in April. Oh, and the final season of Euphoria, the show that made Sweeney a star, is on the horizon for early 2026.

Who could have guessed that a seemingly harmless denim campaign would force a footnote on what could have been a glorious few months because of how it stirred up a surprise culture war that stretched from TikTok to the White House, with everyone from Lizzo to Donald Trump weighing in with an opinion. But that’s what happened after American Eagle dropped its “Sydney Has Great Jeans” campaign July 23. It was designed as an ambitious partnership that included print ads, 3D billboards (including one on the Sphere in Las Vegas), Snapchat lens technology that allowed users to interact with a digital Sweeney, and a limited run of the “Sydney Jean” with 100 percent of the net proceeds donated to a nonprofit of the star’s choice.

Within days, a handful of TikTok users took offense to a campaign clip that features Sweeney saying (with unique inflection), “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.” The users claimed it promoted eugenics or was a form of Nazi propaganda because Sweeney is white, blond-haired and blue-eyed. While countless users dismissed the theories as nonsense, the dog pile had begun causing the hot takes to go viral. Mainstream media outlets picked up on the swirl and the coverage helped spread the controversy far and wide, from from late night to the White House. President Donald Trump clocked in after The Guardian reported that Sweeney registered as a Republican in Florida prior to the 2024 election.

“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get ‘em Sydney!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be.” His post came hot on the heels of American Eagle defending its campaign while pushing back on the narrative that there was any other message to the pun. “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans,” the brand shared on Instagram on Aug. 1.

Sweeney stayed silent. She still hasn’t said a word about the campaign or its backlash but she did return to Instagram on Wednesday to promote Americana with a carousel of artistic behind-the-scenes images for her 25.3 million followers. “A few years ago I filmed this little movie with some friends and now you get to meet Penny Jo,” posted Sweeney, seen in many of the images that also feature Paul Walter Hauser and pop star turned actress Halsey. It’s the only recent promotion for the film that Sweeney has done aside from hitting the red carpet for a premiere at L.A. venue Desert 5 Spot on Aug. 3. But that night, she only posed for photos before quickly ducking inside without speaking to reporters.

It begs a question: What should Sweeney do now?

Not much says Nathan Miller, CEO and founder of full-service strategic and crisis communications firm Miller Ink, which represents Fortune 500 companies and celebrities. “American Eagle played it reasonably well,” he explained, adding that the brand’s response reflects the current culture. “The same brand five years ago would’ve apologized profusely and tried to move past it quickly. Instead, they stuck to their guns and stood by the campaign. It was irreverent enough without being offensive. What was great about it for Sweeney is that while it may have had everyone talking, she wasn’t. Everyone was speaking about her, and she doesn’t have to do anything.”

But with a busy fall up ahead, she surely will have to speak at some point about her new films even if the first time she does field questions from the press is during a TIFF press conference. Asked how she should respond to the reveal about her voting record as a Republican, Miller said, again, she doesn’t need to engage. “If it is authentic to her and she wants to be public about it, great, but she should not feel compelled to do so just because someone dug up her party registration. It’s totally appropriate for her to say, ‘I don’t discuss my politics, that’s personal. I’m only here to talk about my movie.’ And she doesn’t lose. That’s the safest strategy,” he noted, adding that on the flip side it is possible today to build a brand as a political celebrity as there have been plenty of examples on the left. Reaching across the aisle today only helps to widen one’s appeal, Miller said.

Lucy Robertson, head of brand marketing at Buttermilk, an agency that specializes in creator marketing, said the American Eagle campaign felt like a “misstep” for Sweeney because rather than leveraging her as a creative partner who helped shape the narrative. “It uses her as a convenient ‘hook’ to hang the campaign on, in this case, with a tone-deaf ‘good genes’ message that quietly reinforces Eurocentric beauty ideals like white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes.”

Robertson said that “real influence” in today’s market comes from being “embedded in the creative ecosystem for the long-term” rather than just doing one-off endorsement deals. Sweeney has a long history of brand deals after having partnered with Laneige, Miu Miu, Armani Beauty, Kérastase, Heydude, Dr. Squatch and Baskin-Robbins.

“Zendaya’s partnership with On, for example, sets the benchmark. In that 14-month collaboration — set to be the first chapter of a multi-year partnership — she hasn’t just starred in ads — she’s co-designed the Cloudzone Moon sneaker, helped craft the visual story in the evocative ‘Be Every You’ campaign, and shaped how her identity and movement translate into both product and storytelling,” Robertson explained of Sweeney’s Euphoria co-star. “That level of integration deepens cultural currency where we’ve seen Sydney front multiple brand campaigns in a short space of time, the result can feel more transactional than transformative.”

A well-placed legal source familiar with negotiating A-list brand deals says it may be too soon to tell whether the social media swirl will affect Sweeney’s future partnerships and acting gigs. Companies might prefer not to work with her if they believe consumers have Sweeney fatigue or if her exposure could tarnish their image. (Amid the American Eagle backlash, Baskin-Robbins disabled comments on its TikTok videos featuring Sweeney.) The expert notes their advice to clients varies based on star wattage and that there’s a science to measuring celebrity. At a certain level of fame, too many product endorsements could dull one’s A-list image, the source added, while others turn to international markets to keep cash flow coming in while avoiding being “everywhere” on their home turf. Meanwhile, brand deals are becoming a necessity for middle-of-the-road actors who are feeling the squeeze of studio consolidation with fewer available gigs.

Matt Herbert, Chief Commercial Officer of brand tracking platform Tracksuit, tells The Hollywood Reporter that the reaction to AE’s campaign “doesn’t need to necessarily define AE, but it is about how they react from here on.” He cites Pepsi’s controversial 2017 ad with Kendall Jenner that some called tone-deaf for using strikingly similar themes to Black Lives Matter protests. (The company later pulled the commercial online.)

Tracksuit also found that brand awareness for another one of Sweeney’s brand partnerships for Dr. Squatch saw that company boosted by three percentage points from August 2024 to July 2025. (Recall that the men’s soap brand sold bars made with her actual bathwater due to popular demand.) The company also notes that “trendy” is a common theme associated with Laneige, Dr. Squatch and Miu Miu among survey respondents already familiar with all three brands. As for AE’s bottom line, the company’s next earnings report is Sept. 4, which could offer insight to how much of an impact, positive or negative, the controversy had on sales.

Herbert notes that AE was “facing pretty big challenges over the past 18 months,” with brand awareness down by 6 percentage points from January 2024 to June 2025; and consideration, preference and usage declined by 5 percentage points. … any celebrity [endorsement or] brand activation is an attempt to drive relevance, which we know from looking at all of our tracking data.”

In the case of AE, “the news is so fresh, the conversation is so fresh, and we’ll be keeping an eye [on the outcome of the campaign in] the coming months,” says Herbert. That could mean even more eyes on Sweeney and her upcoming projects, which in Hollywood is always a good thing.

Sweeney in American Eagle’s fall 2025 campaign.

Courtesy of American Eagle

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Northrop Grumman’s new spacecraft is a real chonker

Published

3 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Stephen Clark

What happens when you use a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus supply ship? A record-setting resupply mission to the International Space Station.

The first flight of Northrop’s upgraded Cygnus spacecraft, called Cygnus XL, is on its way to the international research lab after launching Sunday evening from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This mission, known as NG-23, is set to arrive at the ISS early Wednesday with 10,827 pounds (4,911 kilograms) of cargo to sustain the lab and its seven-person crew.

By a sizable margin, this is the heaviest cargo load transported to the ISS by a commercial resupply mission. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will use the space station’s Canadian-built robotic arm to capture the cargo ship on Wednesday, then place it on an attachment port for crew members to open hatches and start unpacking the goodies inside.

A bigger keg

The Cygnus XL spacecraft looks a lot like Northrop’s previous missions to the station. It has a service module manufactured at the company’s factory in Northern Virginia. This segment of the spacecraft provides power, propulsion, and other necessities to keep Cygnus operating in orbit.

The most prominent features of the Cygnus cargo freighter are its circular, fan-like solar arrays and an aluminum cylinder called the pressurized cargo module that bears some resemblance to a keg of beer. This is the element that distinguishes the Cygnus XL from earlier versions of the Cygnus supply ship.

The cargo module is 5.2 feet (1.6 meters) longer on the Cygnus XL. The full spacecraft is roughly the size of two Apollo command modules, according to Ryan Tintner, vice president of civil space systems at Northrop Grumman. Put another way, the volume of the cargo section is equivalent to two-and-a-half minivans.

“The most notable thing on this mission is we are debuting the Cygnus XL configuration of the spacecraft,” Tintner said. “It’s got 33 percent more capacity than the prior Cygnus spacecraft had. Obviously, more may sound like better, but it’s really critical because we can deliver significantly more science, as well as we’re able to deliver a lot more cargo per launch, really trying to drive down the cost per kilogram to NASA.”

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ascends to orbit Sunday after launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, carrying Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft toward the International Space Station.

Credit:

Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Cargo modules for Northrop’s Cygnus spacecraft are built by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, employing a similar design to the one Thales used for several of the space station’s permanent modules. Officials moved forward with the first Cygnus XL mission after the preceding cargo module was damaged during shipment from Italy to the United States earlier this year.

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Texans vs. Buccaneers prediction, odds, time: 2025 NFL Week 2 Monday Night Football picks from proven model

Published

3 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Chelena Goldman

A double dose of ‘Monday Night Football’ kicks off with C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans hosting Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The hosts are looking for their first win of the 2025 NFL season after stumbling in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams 14-9. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers head into NFL Week 2 with a victory under their belts, having held off the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 to start their season. Both teams will be missing a key receiver with Christian Kirk (hamstring) out for Houston and Chris Godwin (foot) out for Tampa Bay.

Kickoff from NRG Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET. Houston is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Buccaneers vs. Texans odds, and the over/under for total points scored is 42.5. The Texans are -146 favorites on the money line (risk $146 to win $100), while the Bucs are +122 underdogs (risk $100 to win $122). Before making any Texans vs. Buccaneers picks, be sure to see what the SportsLine projection model has to say.

New users can also target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model is on a 33-17 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following its NFL betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

Now, the model has zeroed in on Texans vs. Buccaneers. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Buccaneers vs. Texans:

Buccaneers vs. Texans spread	Texans -2.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Buccaneers vs. Texans over/under	42.5 points
Buccaneers vs. Texans money line	Houston -146, Tampa Bay +122
Buccaneers vs. Texans picks	See picks at SportsLine
Buccaneers vs. Texans streaming	Fubo (Try for free)

Why the Buccaneers can cover

The Bucs went 10-7-0 ATS last season and have already covered the spread in their first game of the season. They were arguably lucky to get the win in Week 1 since they didn’t generate much yardage, but Mayfield still threw three touchdown passes and rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka shined by catching two of those TDs. Egbuka can help open up the offense by taking some of the attention off of Mike Evans, giving Mayfield options against a Texans defense that allowed 244 passing yards in Week 1. See which team to back at SportsLine.

Why the Texans can cover

Houston is in a position to rebound after Ka’imi Fairbairn scored all of its Week 1 points with three first-half field goals. Nico Collins can have a bounce-back game by frustrating a Buccaneers defense that allowed the fourth-most passing yards in Week 1 (289 out of 358 yards total). Nick Chubb had 13 carries for 60 yards against the Rams, so he should be firing on all cylinders in his first home game with the Texans. Houston was 7-8-2 ATS in 2024 and covered four times at home. See which team to back at SportsLine.

New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $300 in bonus bets instantly at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins.

How to make Texans vs. Buccaneers picks

For this NFL Week 2 Monday Night Football game, the model is leaning over the total, and also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who wins Buccaneers vs. Texans, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texans vs. Buccaneers spread you need to jump, all from the model that is 33-17 on top-rated picks since 2024, and find out.

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How to watch Chargers-Raiders for free

Published

3 hours ago

September 15, 2025

rec_atf

The second half of tonight’s Monday Night Football doubleheader will feature the Los Angeles Chargers on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Both AFC West rivals opened the season with a win last week; the Chargers spent Week 1 in São Paulo, Brazil, where they beat the Chiefs 27-21, and the Raiders bested the Patriots, 20-13.

Both teams are also entering this season with hopes of ending their title droughts in one of the toughest divisions in the league this year. The Chargers last won the AFC West in 2009, while the Raiders haven’t been atop the division since 2002.

Last season, the Chargers won both meetings by double digits.

Chargers vs. Raiders: what to know

When: Sept. 15, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Channel: ESPN
Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)

While the first game of today’s doubleheader aired on both ESPN and ABC, the second matchup is only on ESPN.

Here’s how to tune in to tonight’s second Monday Night Football matchup without cable, no matter where you live in the USA.

Chargers vs. Raiders time:

Chargers vs. Raiders is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET tonight, Sept. 15.

How to watch Chargers vs. Raiders for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Monday Night Football for free. One option we love is DIRECTV, which comes with five days free and starts at $29.99/month for genre packs, with plenty of subscription options and genre packs that include both ESPN.

You can also watch Monday Night Football on ESPN’s new DTC streaming service, which costs $29.99/month and includes every Monday Night Football, 24/7 live ESPN, and more.

Is there a ManningCast tonight?

No, there is not a ManningCast this week during Chargers vs. Raiders. Eli and Peyton Manning will return to ESPN2 during next week’s Lions at Ravens Monday Night Football.

Monday Night Football schedule 2025:

All times below are listed in ET.

Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans – Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
Week 2: Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders – Sept. 15, 10 p.m.
Week 3: Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens – Sept. 22, 8:15 p.m.
Week 4: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins – Sept. 29, 7:15 p.m.
Week 4: Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos – Sept. 29, 8:15 p.m.
Week 5: Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars – Oct. 6, 8:15 p.m.
Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons – Oct. 13, 7:15 p.m.
Week 6: Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders – Oct. 13, 8:15 p.m.
Week 7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions – Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Week 7: Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks – Oct. 20, 10 p.m.
Week 8: Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs – Oct. 27, 8:15 p.m.
Week 9: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys – Nov. 3, 8:15 p.m.
Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers – Nov. 10, 8:15 p.m.
Week 11: Dallas Cowboys at Las Vegas Raiders – Nov. 17, 8:15 p.m.
Week 12: Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers – Nov. 24, 8:15 p.m.
Week 13: New York Giants at New England Patriots – Dec. 1, 8:15 p.m.
Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Chargers – Dec. 8, 8:15 p.m.
Week 15: Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers – Dec. 15, 8:15 p.m.
Week 16: San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts – Dec. 22, 8:15 p.m.
Week 17: Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons – Dec. 29, 8:15 p.m.
Week 18: TBD

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Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews

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