Her jeans are blue and her lips are sealed.
Sydney Sweeney preemptively shut down questions about her controversial American Eagle ad ahead of her appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend.
Sweeney is expected to attend the festival in support of her film, “Christy” — in which she plays boxer Christy Martin — which will premiere Friday.
“I am there to support my movie and the people involved in making it, and I’m not there to talk about jeans,” Sweeney told Vanity Fair in a preview published Thursday. “The movie’s about Christy, and that’s what I’ll be there to talk about.”
Sweeney, 27, also refused to talk about the ad when asked about it in her August Wall Street Journal interview.
The “Euphoria” actress earned some harsh criticism from fans when the ad premiered in July as many called out the commercial’s play on the words “jeans” and “genes.” Many suggested the campaign promoted eugenics and “Nazi propaganda.”
In one of the ads, the blond-haired, blue-eyed star talked about how genes that are passed from parent to offspring often determine traits such as “hair color, personality and even eye color.”
She ended the video by looking at the camera and saying, “My jeans are blue.”
The intense outrage from consumers ultimately prompted a widespread social media push to boycott her most recent film, “Americana,” which premiered last month.
The movie was widely deemed a bomb for Sweeney after it brought in a mere $840,000 in its opening weekend at 1,100 theaters in the US and Canada.
However, Deadline also reported that the film could still be “profitable for Lionsgate on a small level under their Lionsgate Premiere Releasing label.”
Still, the uproar over the Sweeney’s ad was enough for her co-star Halsey to blast critics choosing to protest the movie over the “denim bulls—t.”
“You should go see this movie. because [director] @tonytost made an exceptional film, in honor of a genre he knows intimately,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories alongside a promo poster of the crime thriller.
“Because his work and his vision are greater than the 24 hr gossip tabloid denim bulls–t,” the “Without Me” singer, 30, added.
It remains unclear as to whether Sweeney will be able to conquer the ongoing controversy with her upcoming film’s release. But, it’s evident the divisive marketing move was a win for American Eagle.
Despite the negative online chatter, American Eagle reported $1.28 billion in revenue during its latest earnings call Wednesday. The number reflects sales for the quarter ending Aug. 2, making the term its second-highest quarter ever.
The sales tell a more detailed story. Sweeney’s custom jeans sold out in a week, her jacket sold out in a single day and her dedicated “Syd’s Picks” shop online has had to be restocked four times.
American Eagle also reported an increase in new customers in every US county and saw a surge in brand recognition across demos.
The ad’s success earned high praise from the brand’s chief marketing officer, Craig Brommers, who dubbed the campaign the company’s “most successful campaign to date.”
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