Sidney Sweeney draws a clear line when discussing his political views.
The “White Lotus” and “Housemaid” actress told Cosmopolitan in a recent cover story that she has no intention of becoming a spokesperson on political issues, despite public pressure.
“I’m in the arts. I’m not here to talk politics,” Sweeney said. “It’s a field I never even imagined going into. That’s not why I became who I am.”
The 28-year-old star explained that his passion lies solely in his craft. “I became an actor because I love telling stories,” she told the magazine, emphasizing her core values: “I don’t believe in hatred in any form. I believe we should all love each other, respect each other and understand each other.”
Mr Sweeney acknowledged that his refusal to engage politically had paradoxically made him more of a target. When asked about the nickname “MAGA Barbie” given to her on social media, she replied: “I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art, so this isn’t a conversation I want to lead. And because of that, people want to take it further and use me as their pawn. But it’s someone assigning something to me, and I have no control over that.”
The actress’ stance comes as she continues to recover from the backlash from last year’s American Eagle campaign, which centered around the slogan “Sidney Sweeney has great jeans.” Critics accused the ad of promoting eugenics through the wordplay “great genes” and white supremacy, while others objected to the campaign’s sexual tone.
Sweeney told Cosmo what it feels like to have your own beliefs projected onto you. “It’s never comfortable having people tell you what you believe or think, especially when it doesn’t align with you,” she says. “It was a weird thing to have to navigate and digest, because that’s not me. None of that is me.”
The controversy, which she previously described as surprising in an interview with People magazine in December, has prompted her to reconsider her relationship with social media. “I’m looking at a lot of stuff online, but I’m slowly getting further away from myself,” Sweeney told Cosmopolitan. “It’s definitely gotten to the point where it’s not healthy for me to digest everything.”
Despite the backlash, Sweeney insisted in comments in December that he loves the brand and the jeans themselves. “I do not support the views that some people have chosen to associate with the campaign,” she said at the time. “A lot of people are putting motives and labels on me that aren’t true.”
The actress reiterated to Cosmo that leading with kindness is her top priority as she continues to focus on her acting career.
