Sydney Sweeney doesn’t associate herself with the nickname “MAGA Barbie.”
The actress spoke candidly about all the controversy surrounding her since her American Eagle Outfitters “Great Jeans” ad dropped last July, with some accusing it of being “Nazi propaganda” that praised her blond hair and blue eyes.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan published Thursday, Sweeney was asked about being labeled “MAGA Barbie” by some on the internet — especially after it was revealed she’s been registered as a Republican since June 2024 — even though she hasn’t directly spoken about her political views.
“I’ve never been here to talk about politics,” she told the magazine. “I’ve always been here to make art, so this is just not a conversation I want to be at the forefront of.”
“And I think because of that, people want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn,” she continued. “But it’s somebody else assigning something to me, and I can’t control that.”
Sweeney insisted she wasn’t a “hateful” person and said there was “no winning” when it comes to addressing politically charged things about herself.
“If I say, ‘That’s not true,’ they’ll come at me like, ‘You’re just saying that to look better,’” she explained.
“I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am,” she continued. “I can’t make everyone love me. I know what I stand for.”
The “Euphoria” star noted she is “not a political person.”
“I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics,” she stressed. “That’s not an area I’ve ever even imagined getting into. It’s not why I became who I am.”
“I became an actor because I like to tell stories, but I don’t believe in hate in any form,” she added. “I believe we should all love each other and have respect and understanding for one another.”
Sweeney, 28, said she’s now at a place where she doesn’t look at everything said about her online because it isn’t healthy.
“It’s definitely not a comfortable thing to have people saying what you believe or think, especially when that doesn’t align with you,” she shared. “It’s been a weird thing having to navigate and digest, because it’s not me.”
“None of it is me. And I’m having to watch it happen,” she added.
Last month, Sweeney addressed her controversial American Eagle ad and acknowledged that her initial silence was a misstep.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness,” she told People. “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.”
Sweeney said she was “surprised” by the reaction the ad got.
“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 insisted. “Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
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