For a while, it seemed like Sydney Sweeney was determined not to directly address the firestorm of criticism around her now-infamous “good genes” ad for American Apparel.
The conversation around the controversial ad campaign, which some have accused of being aligned with or gesturing towards racial eugenics, has raged like a wildfire throughout the back half of 2025. Even the friggin’ White House weighed in.
Making matters worse was an interview that Sydney gave to GQ in which she essentially laughed off the ongoing controversy and became meme’d to eternity for her reaction to the questions themselves. (The revelation that she’s a registered Republican didn’t help, either.)
Well, it seems like all the backlash has finally gotten through to her, because in a recent interview with People the actor made her most definitive comments yet regarding the controversy — and, more importantly, what she actually stands for.
In the interview, Sydney said she was “honestly surprised” by the overall reaction that the ad campaign drew. “I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand.”
“I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign,” she added. “Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
Sydney went on to describe herself as a person who “leads with kindness,” adding, “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness.”
“In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it.”
“So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.”
I mean, I think we can all agree on that, at least!