Sydney Sweeney has issued her first public comments on the controversy surrounding her American Eagle campaign, and the reaction online has once again placed her at the center of a culture war considered by some as “exhausting.”

In a December 5 interview with People Magazine, the 28-year-old actress addressed the backlash to the ad, which playfully swapped “genes” for “jeans” in the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has good genes.”

What the brand intended as a simple pun turned into a nationwide debate about race, privilege, beauty standards and political identity.

“I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” Sweeney said. “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. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that

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