Aimee Lou Wood has expressed her concerns about Sydney Sweeney’s controversial jeans campaign for American Eagle, following Sweeney’s recent comments in an interview with GQ. In the interview, the “Euphoria” star, addressing backlash from the ad, explained, “I know who I am. I know what I value. I know that I’m a kind person… I don’t really let other people define who I am.” She described the reaction to her campaign as unexpected but maintained her love for jeans, saying, “I literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.”
However, photographer Misan Harriman criticized Sweeney on social media for not acknowledging the racial implications of the campaign, which has been interpreted as having a problematic undertone. In his Instagram post, Harriman urged Sweeney to recognize the harm her ad caused, pointing out that the play on the word “jeans” versus “genes” could resonate negatively, particularly concerning eugenics. He stressed that the ad resonated with racists, asserting the need for accountability.
Wood, who portrayed Chelsea in Season 3 of “The White Lotus,” showed her solidarity with Harriman by liking his post and responding with a green nauseated-face emoji, indicating her disapproval of the campaign’s message. Sweeney faced significant criticism for her ad, which many felt played into harmful stereotypes, particularly given her physical appearance as a blonde with blue eyes.
The controversy surrounding the ad emerged back in July when Sweeney first collaborated with American Eagle. Her remarks about “jeans” as a reflection of traits in the campaign were met with a mixed reaction from the audience. Sweeney claimed she chose to distance herself from the online discourse because of her demanding filming schedule for “Euphoria,” explaining, “I kind of just put my phone away… I don’t really bring my phone on set.”
Moreover, this is not the first instance of Wood seemingly having differing views from a co-star in “The White Lotus.” Previously, there were rumors about a feud between Wood and her co-star Walton Goggins, but Goggins publicly dismissed these claims, affirming their strong bond and mutual respect for one another.
As the conversation around representation and sensitivity within advertising continues, the reactions from both Wood and Harriman highlight the importance of addressing underlying issues that may arise from seemingly innocuous promotional efforts. The hopes are that such dialogues can foster greater awareness within the industry and lead to more thoughtful branding in the future.