Sydney Sweeney is no stranger to the spotlight - but that doesn't mean she's comfortable living in it.
The "Euphoria" star spoke candidly about the emotional toll fame has taken on her in an interview conducted just before the release of her controversial American Eagle "Good Jeans" ad
"Privacy [is] huge," she said during an interview with The Times UK. "You don't realize how much that means until you lose it. I see all the time, 'Oh, they sold themselves, they knew what they were signing up for'. But 18-year-old me had no idea what she was signing up for."
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Now 27, Sweeney admitted the constant intrusion - from headlines to photographers camped outside her house - has become unbearable. "[It's] crazy," she said, referring to paparazzi snapping photos at her home. "None of it's real," she added about the media narratives surrounding her.
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And while Sweeney continues to skyrocket to fame, she confessed that her ability to trust others is shrinking fast. "I've always been guarded," she said. "Definitely more so now. You let few people in who you trust."
The reporter who spoke with Sweeney additionally pointed out that the Hollywood actress appeared visibly tense during what was supposed to be a 50-minute promo stop for a new film and a string of brand deals. Her discomfort "verged on annoyance," according to The Times UK.
The reporter also speculated that while her conversation with Sweeney took place before the American Eagle ad was released, her "wariness" could be due to backlash from earlier controversies - in 2022, she faced another round of backlash after posting photos from her mother's birthday party. In the photos, some party-goers could be seen wearing red hats that read "Make Sixty Great Again," which many assumed to be a reference to President Donald Trump.
At the time, she wrote on social media, "An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions."
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The "Anyone But You" actress' comments come on the heels of her July American Eagle campaign.
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Sweeney broke the internet last month with a viral ad, as she laid down and fastened her jeans while saying, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color." The camera then panned up to her blue eyes. "My jeans are blue."
The ad faced backlash after it was released, with some suggesting it had shades of "eugenics" and "White supremacy."
According to Salon, the term "great genes" was historically used to "celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness."
American Eagle released a statement on its social media Aug. 1, saying, "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone."
