Sydney Sweeney has found herself in the eye of the storm ever since she headlined American Eagle's new ad campaign. For context, on July 23, 2025 the flagship retail brand featured the Euphoria actress sporting seven different denim looks. However, it was the tagline saying “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” that sent the internet into a spiral, with many arguing that American Eagle was promoting eugenics.
Amid this controversy, another name has been dragged into discourse. A certain section of social media users is comparing Sydney Sweeney's stint to Beyoncé's Levi's campaign. Back in February, the Grammy-winning singer collaborated with the denim powerhouse, promoting the second chapter of Beyoncé's and Levi's "Reimagine" campaign titled "Pool Hall."
In the picture, which is currently doing the rounds on X, Beyonce can be seen rocking a denim-on-denim avatar. She wears a strappy vest, layering the fitted number with an embroidered jacket and, of course, a pair of jeans. Even her pose was strikingly similar to Sydney's Sweeney's American Eagle one.
While some users found both the ads identical, a few differed in their opinion.
"So Beyoncé can pose in Levi jeans and it's art… But when a white woman does it, it's a national crisis?" wrote one user as they shared a photo of the two ads side-by-side.
So Beyoncé can pose in Levi jeans and it's art…
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) July 29, 2025
But when a white woman does it, it's a national crisis? pic.twitter.com/aWu3h6nrL8
"Just going to leave this pic from Beyoncé Levi's campaign right here for those saying Sydney Sweeney with her blond hair/denim/sultry look is racist," pointed out another.
Just going to leave this pic from Beyoncé Levi's campaign right here for those saying Sydney Sweeney with her blond hair/denim/sultry look is racist… pic.twitter.com/ZyeMF6ouCI
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) July 30, 2025
Coming back to Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle advertisement, it repeatedly played with the pun-intended words “genes” and “jeans,” leading to sharp criticism. In the video, the actress says, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour," before the camera focuses on her deep blue eyes. "My jeans are blue," she added.
Naysayers were quick to highlight that the tone-deaf texts and captions echoed themes of ‘eugenics' and ‘white supremacy'. Although it might not have been the intent, the resemblance was hard to ignore.
Also Read: Manish Malhotra On Designing Beyonce's Cowboy Carter Tour Outfit: "Truly Special"
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