Sydney Sweeney's reaction to a GQ journalist's question about the controversial American Eagle ad has gone viral online.
A moment from Sydney Sweeney's new interview has gone viral online, in which a GQ journalist asked her about the actress's controversial jeans ad. The internet is buzzing with discussion about Sydney's reaction and the behavior of interviewer Katherine Stoffel.
As a reminder, 28-year-old Sweeney recently found herself at the center of a controversy over an American Eagle commercial. The controversy stemmed from an unfortunate pun that created inappropriate associations. The video claimed the actress had "good genes," with the word "genes" being replaced with "jeans." Some social media users interpreted the statement as a reference to eugenics, a pseudoscientific theory of "racial purity" popular in Nazi Germany and early 20th-century America.
At one point in the conversation, Stoffel tried to suggest to her guest that white people shouldn't joke about genetic superiority. In response, Sydney dryly stated that she speaks out about issues when she has something to say. "I think when I want to talk about a specific issue, people will hear it," she said.
Social media users noted the contrast between the awkward question from the journalist, likely trying to extract an apology from the actress, and Sweeney's confident answer. The facial expressions of both became the source of memes.
Following the scandal, American Eagle declined to apologize but removed the video from its social media pages. However, it managed to spread online. Despite the criticism, the viral ad featuring Sydney had a positive impact on the company's finances: the brand's shares rose more than 15% in a week. The actress was also praised by US President Donald Trump, who called her "hot."
Photo: americaneagle/Instagram*GQ YouTube channel*
