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Time of India
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad controversy: How the actress built a $40 million empire from endorsements
Sydney Sweeney is no stranger to internet's attention, but this time the reason is totally different. The 'Euphoria' star's latest campaign with American Eagle—featuring her in head-to-toe denim and little else—is drawing attention for reasons beyond fashion. Launched as the face of the brand's Fall 2025 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' campaign, the actress sparked a social media firestorm within hours. The advertising campaign, which launched this week, features the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor dressed in denim and it bears the tagline: "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." The company even saw a 10 per cent surge in sales after the advertisement's release. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category But some social media users said it alludes to theories of racial superiority and even compared it with Nazi propaganda. Some critics of the ad have said it glorifies her white genetics as "good," promoting eugenic thinking that has historically been used for racial violence. ALSO READ: Sydney Sweeney's controversial ad campaign draws Trump's attention, he says 'advertising a very funny thing' Who is Sydney Sweeney and what is her net worth? A prominent American actress, Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the center of controversy over American Eagle 's 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' campaign, widely criticized for its 'genes' pun and imagery evoking eugenics and racialized messaging. She rose to fame with roles on the teen drama television series Euphoria (2019– ) and the first season (2021) of the acclaimed anthology series The White Lotus, and in films such as director Quentin Tarantino's comedy-drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). She is also known for her roles in the dystopian drama television series The Handmaid's Tale (2018) and the comedy-drama series Everything Sucks! (2018). Live Events She has carved her own path in the industry and also has a production company under her name, known as Fifty-Fifty Films, founded in 2020. As of 2025, Sydney Sweeney's estimated net worth stands at approximately around $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. ALSO READ: What is a solar eclipse and when does it occur? NASA says it happens occasionally Sydney became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood when she earned $7.5 million to star in a 2024 thriller called "The Housemaid." Incredibly popular on social media, Sydney Sweeney has 20 million followers on Instagram alone. She has capitalized on her social media popularity by forging dozens of lucrative endorsement deals. To date, Sydney Sweeney's brand deals and endorsements include the clothing brands Miu Miu, Cotton On, Armani, Guess, the lingerie brand Parade, and the skincare brand Laneige. She has also worked with Ford on a custom partnership that saw her restore a vintage Bronco. Sydney has flipped multiple homes and invested in real estate in LA and Washington, according to TOI. Also in 2024, Sweeney launched a successful home and body brand including novelty products that surprisingly gained massive attention. ALSO READ: Stimulus payments August 2025: These US states will receive financial benefit. Do you qualify? Last year, Sweeney appeared in a commercial for Dr. Squatch promoting the company's body wash. "Let's face it, guys only want one thing," she said before mustering bottles of the body wash. Dubbed the "body wash genie," Sweeney says men are "tired of smelling thirsty" from synthetic body washes rather than natural products. The video went viral, racking up 20 million views to date. As a follow-up for the body wash commercial, in May, Sweeney teamed up with Dr. Squatch to launch soap infused with her used bathwater. Who is Sydney Sweeney dating? Last month, Sydney Sweeney took a Jet Ski joy ride in Idaho with a mystery man, prompting speculation she's dating someone new. Sydney—dressed in a navy one-piece swimsuit and life jacket—smiled as she drove the gray-and-yellow Sea-Doo on the water. The man was seated behind her with his arms wrapped around her torso, sporting a pair of yellow swim shorts, white tennis shoes and a red life jacket, reports E Online. This came four months after she and her ex-fiancé Jonathan Davino parted ways. Earlier this year, rumors went flying that the 27-year-old and her Anyone But You costar Glen Powell were together. In May, the Madame Web actress also chimed in on her relationship status when she spoke out on being single for the first time since she and Jonathan—who began dating in 2018 and got engaged in 2023—broke up.
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sydney Sweeney Net Worth: Could the Euphoria actor lose money over her American Eagle 'propaganda' campaign?
Sydney Sweeney is no stranger to the internet's attention, but this time, it's hitting different. The 'Euphoria' star, who only added more glamour to her meteoric rise with projects like The White Lotus, Anyone But You, is facing backlash now, thanks to her latest ad campaign. This summer, the Hollywood star found herself at the center of controversy over American Eagle's 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' campaign, widely criticized for its 'genes' pun and imagery evoking eugenics and racialized messaging. While Sweeney has carved her own path with a noteworthy career and even a production company under her name (Fifty-Fifty Films, founded in 2020), and amassed a reported net worth of around $40 million, she is potentially on the verge of a great setback in her career. Will her financial portfolio be affected by the 'propaganda' campaign of American Eagle? Let's unpack the facts and possibilities. Sydney Sweeney: Net Worth As of 2025, Sydney Sweeney's estimated net worth stands at approximately $40 million, according to multiple entertainment and finance sources. Her income streams are as varied as they are impressive: Acting: Major roles in Euphoria, The White Lotus, Anyone But You, Madame Web, and Immaculate have brought in millions. Her acting salary reportedly included $2 million for Anyone But You (plus producer credit), $750,000 for Madame Web, and $250,000 for Immaculate, with her biggest payday being $7.5 million for The Housemaid. Producing: Sweeney also produces under her Fifty-Fifty Films banner. Reports estimate her producer fees added $1–2 million to her Anyone But You paycheck. Brand endorsements: She has worked with Armani Beauty, Laneige, Miu Miu, Guess, and Ford, among others, contributing significantly to her net worth. Real estate: Sydney has flipped multiple homes and invested in real estate in LA and Washington. Entrepreneurship: In 2024, she launched a successful home and body brand, including novelty products that surprisingly gained viral traction. Despite her success, Sydney has been candid about Hollywood's financial pressures, once stating she couldn't afford to take long breaks from work due to overhead costs, even with a lucrative portfolio. The controversial American Eagle campaign This July, American Eagle released a campaign titled 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' a play on words between 'genes' and 'jeans'. The commercial shows Sweeney reflecting on 'inheriting her mom's eyes, her grandma's smile,' and eventually, 'her great jeans.' On the surface, it's cheeky fashion marketing, but many viewers saw a darker subtext. Critics swiftly called the campaign tone‑deaf, even worse, drawing comparisons to Nazi propaganda and eugenic rhetoric because of its focus on blue‑eyed blonde features and the phrase 'great genes.' The phrase 'great genes' has historically been used in discriminatory ways, and many on social media and in think pieces equate the messaging with 'white beauty supremacy.' The aftermath Despite the backlash, American Eagle defended the campaign, calling it a 'celebration of individuality and family heritage,' but public sentiment was already divided. Furthermore, American Eagle's stock jumped by about 18%, giving the campaign a short-term financial boost and visibility surge. The campaign also highlighted a charity component: net proceeds from a branded 'Sydney Jean' design, adorned with a butterfly symbol for domestic violence awareness, are being donated to a mental health helpline Could it affect Sydney Sweeney – financially? Sydney Sweeney isn't new to controversy; she's previously been criticized for her family's political leanings and a conservative-themed party. But this American Eagle campaign stirred unique anger by positioning her beauty as genetically superior, whether intentionally or not. So, what could be the repercussions? The ongoing backlash may damage Sweeney's standing with socially conscious brands. Labels that focus on inclusivity and diversity may rethink partnerships. In fact, if pressure mounts, American Eagle could pull the ad, potentially costing Sweeney performance-based bonuses or residuals. Moreover, if the controversy continues, some brands might reconsider partnerships, especially those concerned about maintaining inclusive messaging. Hollywood clauses tied to public image and reputational risk could come into play. However, Sweeney's team reportedly does not control creative messaging; she serves as a model, not a campaign creator. That distinction may protect her from being seen as responsible for messaging missteps. Is there a flip side? Ironically, yes. Every controversy helps brands get some press, and as we know it by now, whether it's good or bad, press fuels visibility, and visibility translates to dollars. American Eagle's campaign followed suit, and since the campaign launched, the brand reportedly saw a surge in online traffic and product searches, and Sweeney trended globally for several days, placing her in media cycles beyond the entertainment pages. So, unless this controversy spirals into a broader boycott or a systemic pattern of brand missteps, her net worth is unlikely to take a serious hit. In fact, she might end up gaining more visibility, translating into more avenues for her. To sum up, although the American Eagle campaign is a wake-up call for celebrity brand alignment, Sweeney's career shows no signs of slowing. If anything, she has several upcoming projects lined up, including a boxing biopic about Christy Martin, a role in Ron Howard's Eden, and the lead in Barbarella. She is also starring in Echo Valley and is set to appear in Euphoria season 3. Additionally, she is involved in a film adaptation of The Registration and is producing OutRun with Michael Bay.
Elle
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Sydney Sweeney Completely Transforms Into Boxing Legend Christy Martin for Her New Film
A new sports biopic is on the way. Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney will transform into the boxer Christy Martin in the forthcoming film, Christy. It was directed by David Michôd (The King) and co-written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes (Judy & Punch). Michôd, who's also known for directing War Machine and Animal Kingdom, said that he has been eager to make a strong female-led film for a while. 'I have a history of making movies about damaged men, and I'd been wanting to make a film about a woman with a ferocious energy inside her,' he told Deadline. 'When I came across the Christy Martin story two years ago, I knew I'd found it.' Sweeney will also produce the film through her production company Fifty-Fifty Films. Ahead, here's everything we know about the forthcoming boxing biopic. Christy chronicles the life of Christy Martin, the most successful female boxer of the '90s. She also shattered boundaries by becoming the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But while she found success in the ring, she was also navigating a violent and toxic relationship at home. Michôd elaborated on Christy's themes. 'The film is about Christy as a young gay woman in small-town West Virginia in the 1990s,' he told Deadline. 'She came from a relatively conservative family and wasn't allowed to be who she was, so she used boxing as a vehicle to express herself and her rage. She had to make some dangerous and fundamental compromises in her life, the most important of which was marrying an incredibly dangerous man.' Sydney Sweeney will play the titular character. On October 16, 2024, she posted the first look at her character on Instagram. ''Well the cats out of the bag thanks to some paps in bushes so here's a little bts from my film I'm working on right now,' she wrote in her caption. 'Over the past few months, I've been immersed in training to bring to life the story of an incredible woman—a true champion who fought battles both inside and outside the ring. her journey is a testament to resilience, strength, and hope, and I'm honored to step into her shoes to share her powerful story with you all.' On July 21, she posted another sneak peek of herself in character: In addition to Sweeney, the cast also includes Ben Foster (Hell or High Water), Merritt Wever (Severance), Katy O'Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie), Jess Gabor (Shameless), and Chad L. Coleman (The Walking Dead). In her recent W cover story, Sweeney spoke about her physical transformation. She trained for three and a half months and gained 30 pounds for the role. 'I started eating,' she said. 'I weight-trained in the morning for an hour, kickboxed midday for about two hours, and then weight-trained again at night for an hour.' She continued, 'My body was completely different. I didn't fit in any of my clothes. I'm usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy! I was like, 'Oh my god.' But it was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong.' In another interview, Sweeney shared that she'd been wanting to find a physically challenging role. 'I grappled and did kickboxing from 12-19 years old,' she shared with Deadline. 'I've been itching to get back into the ring, train, and transform my body. Christy's story isn't a light one. It's physically and emotionally demanding. There's a lot of weight to carry. But I love challenging myself.' The film is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. There's no word yet on when it will come to theaters. This story will be updated.
Hypebeast
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Sydney Sweeney Offers an Intimate First Look as Boxing Legend Christy Martin
Summary Sydney Sweeneyis trading in the glam for gloves in her most transformative role yet — stepping into the shoes and ring of legendary boxerChristy Martinin the upcoming biopicChristy. The film, directed by David Michôd, is already stirring serious awards buzz ahead of itsTIFF 2025world premiere, not just for the intensity of Martin's real-life story, but for Sweeney's full-bodied physical and emotional transformation. Once dubbed 'The Coal Miner's Daughter,' Martin became one of the first women to gain mainstream recognition in a sport long dominated by men. Her 1996 undercard fight on a Mike Tyson bill became a flashpoint moment for women's boxing, leading to mainstream visibility and a 49-7-3 career record, with 31 knockouts. But her story wasn't confined to the ring. After surviving a brutal assassination attempt by her abusive husband and former trainer Jim Martin — who was later sentenced to 25 years in prison — Christy became a vocal advocate for domestic violence survivors and founded Christy's Champs, a nonprofit supporting victims. The film doesn't shy away from the weight of her story. It dives deep into the highs and lows: from magazine covers and championship belts to addiction battles, closeted identity, and near-death recovery. At its core, Christy is about power — lost, reclaimed, and redefined. Sweeney reportedly trained for months to inhabit Martin's frame, building muscle and reshaping her body to match the boxer's strength and grit. She shared viaWMagazine, 'I didn't fit in any of my clothes. I'm usually a size 23 in jeans, and I was wearing a size 27. My boobs got bigger. And my butt got huge. It was crazy! I was like, Oh my god.' Sweeney laughed. 'But it was amazing: I was so strong, like crazy strong.' The script, penned by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, is said to balance raw personal trauma with sports-world spectacle — anchoring the narrative in Martin's unwavering will to survive. With Martin herself involved in the filmmaking process and Sweeney co-producing through her Fifty-Fifty Films banner,Christyis shaping up to be both a portrait of a fighter and a gut-punch of a biopic. The film is set to premiere in September 2025 at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a global release date still yet to be announced. Take a first look of Sydney Sweeney playing as Christy Martin below.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sydney Sweeney and the business of being hot
Sydney Sweeney is a Hollywood supernova, making a dizzying amount of moves professionally, yet social media is consumed with the superficial. She's using it to her advantage. Look no further than the announcement that the Anyone but You star's brand partnership with men's bath product Dr. Squatch will now include a limited edition line of soap bars infused with her bathwater. Sweeney said the idea was born from 'dirty little boys' who 'wouldn't stop asking' for it after she first partnered with the company last year for a sultry campaign shot in a bubble bathtub. She's not exaggerating: A comment from the original Instagram ad from October 2024 asking, 'how much for the water,' has nearly 40,000 likes. Dr. Squatch called Sweeney 'a legend' for agreeing to create the bathwater soap, which the brand says smells like 'morning wood.' Sweeney's either a genius or desperate, according to social media. While we won't make that call, we'll observe that there is such digital discourse around her — her beauty, her body and especially her love life. So who could blame the actress, who's been praised as 'business-minded' and 'ambitious' by her Anyone but You costar Glen Powell for orchestrating their fauxmance to market their hit rom-com, for taking it to the bank? Sweeney is a studio moneymaker. The films she acted in, as of press time, have earned $244,399,399 worldwide, according to the Numbers. She's also a storytelling mover and shaker through her production company, Fifty-Fifty Films, which she cofounded in 2020 with her producing partner and former fiancé Jonathan Davino. The films she's produced have made $243,952,681 worldwide. Yet her love life drives much of the conversation around her. Sweeney initially chose not to even confirm her broken engagement with Davino, after she stopped wearing her engagement ring in February, and yet that consumed the Q1 gossip cycle. She told the Times of London in a May 31 story that she is single and "learning a lot about myself." The bigger story has become who she'll date next. Social media went cray-cray when, after her Davino split, she attended Powell's sister's wedding. Had the costars coupled up? Apparently no. But the idea that this smoldering movie scene could be reality just wound up the masses. There was yet another fervor when Sweeney was close-talking with her costar in The Housemaid, Brandon Sklenar, at Stagecoach in April. Just talking to her former Downfalls High costar Machine Gun Kelly and White Lotus actor Patrick Schwarzenegger at a Las Vegas party in May led to a 'flirty threesome' headline — among other suggestive gossip. She can't even stand next to a man without a flurry of innuendo. Social media isn't just obsessed with Sweeney's love life; there's plenty more trivial chatter to go around. Almost as soon as she broke through in Hollywood, discourse about her looks and body began. In December, trolls posted cruel comments after she muscled up to play boxer Christy Martin. It's not just the random keyboard warriors having their say. Veteran film producer Carol Baum said that Sweeney is 'not pretty' and 'can't act' and called Anyone but You 'unwatchable.' In response, Sweeney called Hollywood's 'women empowering other women' movement a facade. She also let her style make a statement, mock apologizing for having 'great tits.' Why are people so shallow when it comes to Sweeney? Turns out, it's an age-old formula of stardom plus gender. 'When the concept of Hollywood stardom first emerged in the 1910s, much of the original discourse focused on actors as picture personalities, which meant that fan culture focused on the various onscreen roles actors had played,' Claire Sisco King, Vanderbilt University's associate professor and chair of Cinema and Media Arts, tells Yahoo Entertainment. 'Pretty quickly, however, this discourse began to focus as much on the private lives of stars as it did on their work,' as fan magazine coverage began to extend to the love lives of stars in the 1920s. Now, 100 years later, that coverage has not only persisted but also intensified due to the rise of reality TV coupled with the boom of social media, which has 'created heightened audience expectations of access to and intimacy with famous people,' King says. There is a more critical lens on females than males, 'which is in keeping with traditional gender norms in our culture,' King says. 'While it has been historically acceptable for men to have professional lives and to be associated with the public sphere, U.S. culture still tends to expect that women be tied to concepts of home, family and love. Discourse about Hollywood often insists that women be attached to men in adherence with these traditional gender norms.' It's common for internet culture 'to fixate on the romantic lives of famous women,' King says, 'and the treatment of Sydney Sweeney is in keeping with these patterns. Such emphasis especially applies to women who are constructed as 'bombshells' because so much of their persona becomes attached to their perceived attractiveness and appeal as objects of desire for heterosexual men.' When it comes to Sweeney being connected to her romantic leads, that's also typical because it 'helps to preserve the fantasy that audiences enjoy when they watch fictional love stories that feel as if they could be real.' Sweeney wisely leaned in on that fantasy with Anyone but You when she and Powell pretended there could be something going on to help market the movie. That was part of the film's success. But female actresses walk a fine line. Anytime women take roles that are outside the box we see them in, people view it 'as a kind of betrayal,' says King. For Sweeney, 'An example of this inverse perspective [is] when many fans — especially men — expressed dislike at the change in her appearance while shooting the Martin biopic.' While the social media noise blasts, Sweeney is methodically plotting her career — and building up her bank account. Just a handful of film projects she has slated are starring roles: the Martin biopic, a screen adaptation of the video game Split Fiction, the psychological thriller The Housemaid and a long-awaited Barbarella remake. As she did with Anyone but You, she will again double-dip and produce all four. Sweeney has talked about being hands-on when it comes to producing projects, saying she kept Sony's marketing team 'awake at night because I couldn't stop with ideas' around Anyone but You. She said she was on every call and in text group chats. With the confidence of a seasoned Hollywood player, Sweeney said she accepts roles — like in 2024's disappointing-and-she-knew-it Madame Web — as a 'building block' in getting her own projects made. 'Everything in my career I do not just for that story, but strategic business decisions,' she said. 'Because I did that, I was able to sell Anyone but You [and] get Barbarella.' Sweeney's business sense extends to money management. She's called herself a 'huge saver,' explaining, 'I don't just go and spend money. I like to invest. I like real estate. I like making, hopefully, smart choices with the money I'm making.' There's a personal reason behind that: Sweeney's parents went through bankruptcy when she was young. Despite her stardom, she worries about how much money she has going in and out. She's said that if she didn't take brand partnerships — like Dr. Squatch but also beauty (Laneige) and fashion brands (Miu Miu) — on the side, she couldn't pay her bills. Sweeney's business acumen has been praised by not just her costars but also by executives and collaborators. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group head Tom Rothman called her a 'force of nature' and said the studio is lucky to be in business with her. Jessica Goodman, whose YA novel They Wish They Were Us is being adapted into a series by Sweeney, called her 'very savvy' with an ability 'to get things done in a way that might surprise people.' Jennifer Millar, Sweeney's talent agent for over a decade, has said, 'From the beginning she knew what she wanted. She knew how she was going to get there, and she's been doing it.' Sweeney is, after all, the same girl who, at 12, made a PowerPoint presentation to convince her parents to allow her to pursue acting. Her pitch worked and has paid off. It's paying off again as she turns leering comments into a money-making brand campaign for soap, which has resulted in her very own product. And people are lapping it up.
