In a year when Hollywood could not stop dropping significant sequels and remarkable original outings, Sydney Sweeney somehow became the name on everyone’s lips for reasons that went far beyond her acting. Once praised for her breakout roles in Euphoria and Anyone But You, she spent much of 2025 caught in a whirlwind of headlines and heated debates. Whether it was her political leaning coming into the spotlight, questionable collaborations, or reported feuds with her co-stars, Sweeney found herself constantly under fire.

Though Sydney Sweeney started in showbiz with admiration for her talent, she has now turned into a divisive entity, making many wonder why has she become so controversial. The answer to this is certainly layered.

In July 2025, Sydney Sweeney starred in a campaign for American Eagle featuring the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” a wordplay on “genes” that triggered intense online debate. Many argued that the campaign’s visuals: A blonde, blue-eyed actress referencing inherited traits such as hair and eye color, invoked narratives of genetic superiority and eugenics. The brand soon responded, clarifying that they viewed the campaign as focused solely on their product.

The controversy, however, intensified when President Donald Trump publicly commended Sydney Sweeney following the revelation of her presumed Republican registration, saying he loved her ad. The controversy, thereafter, became indicative of expansive debates around advertising, race, and political alignment.

Public records from Florida, according to The Guardian, show a Sydney Bernice Sweeney registered as a Republican voter on June 14, 2024, shortly after the actress purchased property in the state, raising questions about her political stance. While Sweeney has not publicly confirmed or elaborated on her party registration or voting history, the revelation stirred speculation.

The collision of the voter registration with the American Eagle campaign and subsequent cultural storm added fuel to perceptions that her professional endorsements and political identity were intertwined. Online commentators connected her image to conservative anti-woke movements, and one of her co-stars appears to believe it too.

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Sydney Sweeney is reportedly in a feud with Zendaya as they gear up to debut the third season of their hit HBO series Euphoria.

According to the Daily Mail, Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya are locked in a bitter feud, allegedly stemming from their diverging political beliefs. Sources claim Zendaya has refused joint press calls for the upcoming season of their show and tries to avoid standing next to Sweeney, as being seen with her would imply endorsement of her views and her Donald Trump connection.

Although neither actress has openly confirmed any beef, the rumored tension has sparked the narrative around Sydney Sweeney’s polarizing presence in Hollywood, showing how off-screen relationships are shaped as much by public perception as by what actually happens on set.

Beyond her American Eagle campaign and political scrutiny, Sydney Sweeney’s public persona has navigated several controversies over the years. In 2022, she faced criticism when guests at her mother’s birthday party were seen wearing MAGA-style hats, an image she later sought to distance herself from by saying the accessory in question was brought by her mom’s friends. Also noteworthy was her unconventional product tie-in with the personal-care brand Dr. Squatch, where a limited-edition soap made using her bathwater raised eyebrows.

Sydney Sweeney was also at the center of her Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell’s breakup. Her and the Top Gun: Maverick star’s on-screen chemistry spilled off-camera, fueling rumors that contributed to the latter’s breakup with Gigi Paris, a claim Paris later admitted on the Too Much podcast. These episodes cumulatively feed the broader image of an actress who is both commercially potent and culturally contentious. Sweeney’s responses to her controversies, meanwhile, have done little to help her case.

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When Sydney Sweeney recently had the chance to distance herself from associations with Donald Trump and allegations of racial superiority, she chose not to.

When asked about the American Eagle backlash, Sydney Sweeney told GQ: “I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise.” She also described the Donald Trump involvement as “surreal.”

This reaction was not what the public expected, as social media soon began debating how Sweeney did not even try to rebuke allegations painting her as a racist. Sweeney’s The White Lotus co-star Aimee Lou Wood also appeared to agree with the notion, liking a post dissecting Sweeney’s statement.

Months after Sydney Sweeney promoted jeans for American Eagle, she climbed upto the Hollywood sign in LA and covered it with multiple bras. The act did not just generate confusion but also reportedly generated trespassing and vandalism charges. Whether Sweeney went to court or paid a fine for the same is not revealed, but the president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told the LA Times that the actress was not authorised to hang up bras on the sign.

While the legal troubles never got a confirmation, the confusion regarding why Sweeney even pulled such a stunt was cleared when the actress revealed to Cosmopolitan that it was to promote her lingerie brand, SYRN (pronounced: sye-rin). The lingerie line had four categories ranging from comfy and playful to romantic and seductress and was mostly priced under the range of $100.

The brand, which was launched in January, was reported to be in crisis by August as reported exclusively by In Touch. While the low sales could be due to multiple reasons, critics on the internet loudly claimed that it centred more on Sweeney than its customers.

"SYRN's branding feels exclusionary," The Robin Report review stated.

While no further update on the crisis or success of SYRN has seeped into the limelight, Sydney Sweeney had already moved on to her next controversy of the year.

Planted into the very same chaotic energy of Cassie from earlier seasons, Euphoria Season 3 made it clear in the trailer itself that it had no intentions of toning down. As the anticipated Season 3 premiered on April 12, it followed Sydney Sweeney's character Cassie as she got married to a bankrupt Nate, tried to get popular on OnlyFans, and made up with Maddie to make it big. However, all this did not come without major backlash regarding her scenes in the series; especially one where she dresses up as a baby for her OnlyFans.

The scene, showing Cassie dressed in pigtails with a pacifier and diaper while filming explicit content, drew widespread criticism online, with viewers and commentators, including media personality Megyn Kelly, accusing the show of "sexualizing infancy" and crossing a line even for a series known for provocative content.

Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun were first spotted together in October 2025, but were not confirmed as a couple until months later, in April 2026, when Braun joined the actress during the Euphoria premiere. Sweeney then went ahead and made it Instagram official by posting a photo from the event on her Instagram stories with a white heart. The gesture was returned by Scooter Braun, who posted it with the caption "lucky b******". 

Given Braun's infamous, years-long feud with Taylor Swift, stemming from his 2019 acquisition of the masters to Swift's first six albums, Swifties were quick to criticize Sweeney for dating him. The backlash resurfaced again in July 2026, when Sweeney's lingerie brand Syrn previewed underwear printed with the phrase "But daddy, I love him" — the title of a song from Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department', leading fans to assume that it was a dig at Taylor Swift. 

While 2026 was not short of controversies for Sydney Sweeney, they all still pale in comparison to the backlash that came with the actress featuring in the Novig ad. If the American Eagle campaign drew fire for its innuendo, Novig took the opposite approach entirely, baring it all and leaving nothing to the imagination. The commercial drew flake from real female athletes who accused the ad of undermining decades of work to have women in sports recognized for their skill rather than their bodies.

The commercial was a follow-up to Sydney Sweeney's business deal with Novig, a sports trading app, which made her a stakeholder in the company. Moreover, both Sweeney and Jacob Fortinsky, Novig Founder and CEO, have remained tight-lipped about the percentage of equity stake that the actress holds. Regardless, the backlash is not slowing down as renowned athletes including Olympic winners Ariarne Titmus and Amy Hunt, have publicly expressed their disdain.

Sweeney herself has not backed down, posting photos of several athletes who had earlier bared it all for magazine covers, responding to the hate.

Sydney Sweeney’s recent years have ultimately been a whirlwind of headlines, debates, and public scrutiny, cementing her status as one of Hollywood’s most disputed figures. Whether navigating brand controversies, political speculation, or supposed feuds with her co-stars, though, she remains unapologetically herself, challenging the industry’s expectations and forcing audiences to confront the blurred lines between talent, persona, and perception. Love her or critique her, Sweeney’s presence in the headlines this year, and even before, proves that in Hollywood, influence is not measured just by roles or box office; it is defined by how fiercely a star shapes the conversation.

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What do you really think of Sydney Sweeney being controversial? Let us know in the comments.