Sydney Sweeney attends Americana screening, marking first public appearance since American Eagle denim controversy.

Actress Sydney Sweeney made her first public appearance since the American Eagle denim campaign controversy at a screening of her new film, Americana. She wore a custom Danielle Frankel dress and posed with co-stars Halsey and Simon Rex. The film explores themes of cultural heritage, crime, and community in a South Dakota town. Sweeney's denim campaign sparked criticism over its racial undertones and was compared to Brooke Shields' 1980 Calvin Klein ad.

Actress Sydney Sweeney made her first public appearance since the American Eagle denim campaign controversy at a screening of her new film, "Americana." The event took place on Sunday, August 3, at the Desert 5 Spot in Los Angeles. Sweeney wore a custom Danielle Frankel dress and posed with co-stars Halsey and Simon Rex on the red carpet [1].

The film, set in a South Dakota town, revolves around a plot to steal a prized Lakota "ghost shirt," exploring themes of cultural heritage, crime, and community. Sweeney plays a waitress who teams up with a military veteran to gain possession of the Native American artifact. The film is set for release on August 15 and originally premiered at the South by Southwest festival in 2023 [2].

Sweeney's denim campaign, which launched on July 23, sparked criticism due to its racial undertones. The campaign's slogan, "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," was compared to Brooke Shields' 1980 Calvin Klein ad. Critics argued that the ad promoted the idea of a conventionally attractive, blonde, white woman with blue eyes being the archetype of "good genes." American Eagle, however, defended the campaign, stating that it was about the jeans and not the actress's genetics [3].

Following the controversy, American Eagle's stock saw a 16% boost upon the ad's release but was down over the past week as backlash escalated. However, after President Donald Trump defended the ad, the stock saw a 23.53% increase at the market's close on August 4 [4].

Sweeney has not publicly addressed the backlash against the ad, while American Eagle issued a statement on Instagram on August 1, reiterating that the campaign was about the jeans and not the actress's genetics [3].

References:
[1] https://people.com/sydney-sweeney-first-public-appearance-since-american-eagle-ad-controversy-11783573
[2] https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/08/04/sydney-sweeney-american-eagle-backlash-americana-red-carpet/85506682007/
[3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/08/04/american-eagle-stock-trump-sydney-sweeney/85515756007/
[4] https://www.usnews.com/news/u-s-news-decision-points/articles/2025-08-08/the-sydney-sweeney-economy