Former NASCAR Driver Danica Patrick Reacts to Sydney Sweeney Ad Backlash

Newsweek

2 days ago

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Former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick gave her take on the Sydney Sweeney controversy stemming from the actress's American Eagle ad campaign.
Sweeney's commercials are perceived by some as coded with racism and eugenics because of a play on words regarding "jeans" and "genes."
Patrick posted a story on her Instagram account on July 30, reading, "Hilarious. Can anyone tell me what's wrong with the new AE ads?! Very confused."
Also, she shared a video from content creator Kaylor Betts, which addressed the controversy.
Danica Patrick looks on from the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Danica Patrick looks on from the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
"We have to boycott American Eagle," Betts said in the video playfully.
"If you haven't heard of this yet, brace yourself. This is a trigger warning. You're not going to believe it. They had Sydney Sweeney in one of their ads. And if you don't know Sydney, she's a white girl."
Patrick found humor in the controversy surrounding Sweeney's ad, but the temperature has been much higher online, with people both attacking and defending the actress.
Why are people upset about Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle collaboration?
Sweeney's campaign with American Eagle is titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans."
While on its face the title seems harmless, people claim the commercials refer to the "Euphoria" star's genetics as a white, blue-eyed American in a way that is coded with references to Nazism or white supremacy.
"My body's composition is determined by my genes," Sweeney said as the video pans her entire body. "Hey, eyes up here."
"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color," Sweeney says in another ad.
"My jeans are blue."
Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/tDkeGT9R7G — Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) July 24, 2025
Considering the backlash, many expected American Eagle to pause the collaboration, but Ashley Schapiro, the brand's vice president of marketing, said that the campaign was meant to be provocative.
"During a Zoom call with Sydney, we asked the question, 'How far do you want to push it?' Without hesitation, she smirked and said, 'Let's push it, I'm game,'" Schapiro wrote in a LinkedIn post.
"Our response? 'Challenge Accepted.' Infusing our own personal cheeky energy and making us as we envisioned how the world would experience the launch.
"A desire to stretch beyond anything we had done before. The ideas kept building. The stunts topping themselves. Exploring media innovation that could feel like it was invented just for Syd's Jeans?"