Sydney Sweeney has made her position clear in a new interview. The 28-year-old actress says she will not discuss politics and wants to focus on her acting career. Her comments appear in a new Cosmopolitan cover story, marking her most direct response yet to the political labels and online controversies that have surrounded her for nearly a year. This stance follows a controversial advertising campaign and widespread online discussion about her personal beliefs.
Sydney Sweeney Defines Her Role as a Storyteller
In her conversation with Cosmopolitan, Sydney Sweeney was straightforward about her priorities. She explained that her passion is for acting and storytelling, not political discussion.
“I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics,” Sweeney told the magazine. “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.”
She further shared her core personal values, stating, “I don’t believe in hate in any form. I believe we should all love each other and have respect and understanding for one another.”
The actress feels that her choice to avoid political conversations has, in a twist, made her more of a target. She believes people try to use her silence to fit their own narratives.
“I’ve always been here to make art, so this is just not a conversation I want to be at the forefront of,” she explained. “And I think because of that, people want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn. But it’s somebody else assigning something to me, and I can’t control that.”
The “MAGA Barbie” Label and the American Eagle Controversy
Much of the political speculation about Sweeney traces back to a single advertising campaign. In July 2025, she starred in an ad for American Eagle with the slogan “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”.
Critics quickly argued that the phrase “great jeans” was a play on “great genes.” They said this wordplay promoted the discredited idea of eugenics, which aims to improve humanity through selective breeding. The ad, featuring the blonde, white actress, was called tone-deaf and irresponsible by many online commentators.
The campaign received unexpected praise from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who called it the “HOTTEST ad out there” on social media after learning Sweeney was a registered Republican in Florida. This endorsement from Trump and other right-wing figures led to Sweeney being nicknamed “MAGA Barbie” online.
Sweeney addressed this label directly in the Cosmopolitan interview. When asked about the “MAGA Barbie” nickname, she firmly separated the assigned political identity from her own self.
“Those aren’t my values,” she said, “but I feel like I’ve never needed to correct people who don’t know who I am.”
She described the experience of having beliefs projected onto her as uncomfortable and strange to navigate.
Navigating Public Scrutiny and the Pressure to Speak
For months, Sweeney avoided publicly addressing the fallout from the American Eagle ad. In December 2025, she broke her silence in a statement to People magazine. She acknowledged that her quiet approach may have done more harm than good.
“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,” she said at the time.
In her latest interview, Sweeney elaborated on the difficulty of responding. She feels there is no way to win, as any statement she makes could be seen as insincere or crafted for public relations. She has decided that the best path is to continue being herself and focusing on her work.
The constant online discourse has affected her personally. Sweeney told Cosmopolitan she is actively pulling back from social media for her mental well-being.
“I’m online and I see things, but I’m slowly pulling myself away,” she said. “It’s definitely gone to a level where it’s just not healthy for me to digest it all.”
Promoting Her Business Venture with a Hollywood Sign Stunt
Separate from the political discussion, Sweeney recently made headlines for a bold promotional stunt for her new business. She launched a lingerie line called SYRN.
To promote the launch, a video showed Sweeney and a small crew climbing the famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. They hung a clothesline of bras across the iconic letters. The nighttime stunt was filmed for promotional content.
However, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which manages the intellectual property rights to the sign, stated that Sweeney and her team did not have permission to climb the sign or use it for commercial purposes.
“The production involving Sydney Sweeney and the Hollywood Sign, as reported by TMZ, was not authorized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce nor did we have prior knowledge of it,” said Steve Nissen, the chamber’s CEO.
While the crew had a permit to film in the general area, using the sign itself requires a specific license and fee. As of late January 2026, no police report for trespassing had been filed.
Fan Reactions to Sweeney’s Political Stance
The reaction to Sweeney’s declaration that she is “not a political person” has been mixed.
On social media posts sharing her quotes, many people supported her right to stay out of political debates. One commenter wrote, “I can respect that. I don’t respect people who expect some sort of political fealty from people…”. Another added, “Good on her for not caving to the mob”.
Others strongly criticized her stance, arguing that choosing not to speak on political issues is itself a political act, especially in a divided climate. One social media user responded, “In this current state of our country, you can’t say I’m non political. If you do, it literally means, I’m not bothered by anything going on and thus I support it.”. Another comment suggested her stance means, “none of what’s happening affects me personally, so I really don’t care”.
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Sweeney’s Career Continues with Upcoming Projects
Despite the off-screen noise, Sydney Sweeney’s acting career moves forward. She recently starred in the psychological thriller “The Housemaid,” which has performed well at the box office. Fans are also eagerly awaiting her return to HBO’s “Euphoria” for its third season, where she will reprise her breakout role as Cassie Howard.
Also Read: Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen Netflix Series: Full Cast and Character Guide
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