Halsey has gone off on the media and fans after her film, Americana, got dragged into the controversy surrounding co-star Sydney Sweeney and her “great jeans.”
“I do agree that our words are important in this climate,” Halsey wrote in a since-deleted Instagram Story. “I don’t, however, think that it’s fair for the news cycle to predatorily rip a hardworking director and his hardworking crew for their film that is completely separate from and unrelated to a (pretty dumb) advertising take.”
Americana, which started production in 2022, is Halsey’s first big-screen role. But its release happened to land right when Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign stirred a political firestorm, something Halsey blames for the movie’s poor reception.
“You should go see this movie. Because Tony Tost made an exceptional film, in honor of a genre he knows intimately,” she said in another now-deleted post. “Because his work and his vision are greater than the 24hr gossip tabloid denim bulls–t”, reported Billboard.
The film, made on a $9 million budget, brought in only $500,000 during its opening weekend despite being shown in 1,100 theaters. It stars Paul Walter Hauser as an Army veteran in a small town falling into chaos when a stolen artifact hits the black market.
Halsey’s frustration didn’t stop there. In another post to X that was also deleted, she said, “I’m not upset the film’s release is being hurt by the timing. I am upset that a bunch of non-celebrity people involved in this film are being bullied by the media.”
“I have said everything I am permitted to say about my feelings on the ad,” she added. “And if you’re a fan of mine and think I ‘support eugenics’ then idk what to say idk why you’re a fan then tbh…”
The controversy kicked off in late July when Sweeney became the face of American Eagle’s new jeans campaign. One ad showed her saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.” With a close-up on her blue eyes, she added, “My jeans are blue.”
The line “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”—with “genes” crossed out in some campaign images—was blasted by critics who said it flirted with eugenics. Others pushed back, saying the campaign was just wordplay and Sweeney’s popularity reflects mainstream beauty ideals.
Even Donald Trump jumped in earlier this month, praising the campaign on Truth Social and calling it “the hottest ad out there.”
Sweeney has remained quiet, though she appeared unsettled when asked about the backlash in a recent interview with The Times of London. She has made no apologies for using her sexuality to build her brand, saying, “Everyone else is!”
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The actress, who works with brands like Miu Miu, Armani Beauty, and Hey Dude, has built a reputation for controversy. She once sold soap made with her bathwater, a stunt that resurfaced after comedian Matt Rife defended her recently, blasting her critics as “garbage losers who will twist anything.”
American Eagle, for its part, has stood by the campaign. “ ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the company said in a statement.
Halsey ended one of her Instagram posts with a reminder: “If it’s not clear who the actual people I’m standing up for are, I’m sorry look closer.”