Sydney Sweeney finds herself at the centre of multiple controversies this month, facing professional setbacks and personal scrutiny in equal measure. The young actor's passion project has bombed at the box office, a four-month-old jeans advertisement continues to haunt her, and she's facing criticism from fellow Hollywood elites. All this while navigating a new, highly publicised romance with music mogul Scooter Braun.
The Personal and Political Firestorms
Since September, Sweeney has been romantically linked with Scooter Braun, the music executive famously known for his feud with Taylor Swift. Their 16-year age gap and apparent randomness have sparked online discussion, though the couple haven't shied from public displays of affection, including a recent, highly visible kiss in Central Park. This affiliation effectively writes Sweeney off any future guest list for a Swift wedding and compounds her increasingly embattled public image.
Braun isn't the only contentious figure in Sweeney's orbit. The couple reportedly connected at Jeff Bezos's lavish Venice wedding in June. Sweeney's attendance was later explained as a strategic move, given her involvement in a forthcoming Amazon MGM Studios blockbuster. Further business ties are emerging, with Sweeney reportedly launching a lingerie line backed by investment from Bezos and his bride. Bezos is now allegedly pushing for Sweeney to become the next Bond girl.
Politically, Sweeney has found herself adopted by the right. In August, it was revealed she had registered as a Republican voter in tax-friendly Florida, following the publication of family photos featuring Maga-style caps. While Sweeney dismissed this as "an absurd political statement," figures like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have publicly defended her, with the former president endorsing her controversial jeans ad as the "'HOTTEST' ad out there."
Professional Setbacks and Public Backlash
Sweeney's starring role in the biopic 'Christy' opened to just $1.3 million at the US box office last week, a significant blow for a project intended to cement her status as a serious actor. Despite mixed reviews, Sweeney took to Instagram to declare she remained proud of the picture, stating they "make it for impact" rather than just for numbers.
Her art, however, is increasingly overshadowed by controversy. A July advertisement for American Eagle, featuring the tagline "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," sparked accusations of catering to the male gaze and promoting whiteness. When finally addressing the issue with GQ, Sweeney offered a withering, flippant response: "I did a jean ad." This belated, eye-rolling reaction has not won her any new admirers.
The backlash isn't limited to online commentators. Fellow actors are breaking ranks to express their disdain. 'White Lotus' star Aimee Lou Wood, musician SZA, and Christina Ricci liked an Instagram video criticising Sweeney, with Wood posting a vomiting emoji elsewhere. 'Orange Is the New Black' actor Ruby Rose launched a more direct attack on Instagram Threads, calling Sweeney a "cretin" who "ruined the film" and objecting to an apparent Republican playing a gay woman.
Navigating Fame and the Future
Between her sex-symbol status and her place in the culture wars, Sweeney is regular fodder for the discourse machine. She has been the subject of intense online "debates over beauty standards" and her dismissive response to the GQ interviewer has been adopted by right-wingers as a meme. The scrutiny extends beyond digital spaces, with commentators like Megyn Kelly objecting to her red-carpet attire and photographers at the 2022 Met Gala demanding she "show us those boobs."
As a savvy businesswoman, Sweeney has been proactive in securing her financial future. She openly admits that acting alone wouldn't afford her LA lifestyle, leading to numerous brand deals for everything from flip phones to a limited edition soap marketed as containing a "touch" of her own bath water. She has strategically framed past box-office failures, like 'Madame Web', as business decisions that built valuable studio relationships.
Despite this business acumen, 2024 has been a difficult year professionally. All four of her tentpole projects—'Eden', 'Americana', 'Echo Valley', and now 'Christy'—have fallen flat. While the charming 2023 romcom 'Anyone But You' was a surprise hit and her performance in 'Reality' was widely praised, Sweeney is currently on the ropes. To regain her footing in an increasingly hostile Hollywood, she will need a definitive win, and soon.
