Sydney Sweeney has been all over our screens lately, quickly rising to become the new it-girl of the media scene. However, public sentiment seems to be confused about what she’s doing. The 27-year-old actress is constantly keeping us on our toes, and we never know what she’ll do next.
The past few years have seen her transformation from a young actress in Kickin’ It and Netflix’s Everything Sucks to a symbol of sexuality and Americana in Hollywood. In a 2024 interview with Glamour, she told the magazine, “I’m a very successful, independent woman who’s worked really hard … I’ve accomplished and bought everything myself, and I provide for myself and my family.”
Sweeney’s story of building herself from the ground up is inspiring, and her success and drive are evident in her decision to buy a production studio called Fifty-Fifty Films. This studio co-produced her 2023 rom-com, Anyone But You, which became the highest-grossing live-action Shakespeare adaptation of all time, even with the competition of the beloved romance film 10 Things I Hate About You.
Alongside this success, Sweeney has had her share of controversies in recent years, including creating the Dr. Squatch “Bathwater Bliss” soap, participating in the American Eagle “Great Jeans” ad, and, now, beginning a romance with Scooter Braun. The list of backlash seems to continue, and this recent news of her casual relationship leaves us asking once again: What the heck is going on?
Budding Romance With Scooter Braun
In August 2025, Sweeney reportedly began a casual romantic relationship with 44-year-old Scooter Braun; the music manager best known for his longstanding public animosity with Taylor Swift over the ownership of her masters.
How did this pair even come together? It all started when they met at the Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding. While Sweeney has not confirmed their romance, Braun exclusively reported to Star Magazine that he and Sweeney are dating, but keeping it on the down-low.
The real question when assessing a Hollywood relationship is always the same: Is it real or fake?
Surprisingly, I actually think this relationship might be real. While the Bezos wedding was an odd place to meet, Sweeney’s decision not to confirm the relationship makes me think it’s really not PR; otherwise, it would be more talked about and less hidden. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out; I know I’ll be checking up on this pair quite often.
The Bath Soap Controversy
In early 2025, Sweeney shocked the internet when she partnered with soap brand Dr. Squatch and created the “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss” bar of soap, which was to include a small amount of her real bathwater.
Naturally, social media latched onto this quickly and started to say things like “Sweeney is pushing back women X years”
When asked about the backlash of this partnership, Sweeney said, “It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting. They all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi’s bathwater,” a reference to the Jacob Elordi Saltburn-inspired bathwater candle.
What surprised people most about this partnership, however, is that Sweeney actually had the soap idea — not Dr. Squatch. In an interview with People magazine, she literally said, “I pitched it,” and was described with a cheeky smile as she stated the fact proudly.
Sweeney continued, “It’s weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that’s not just unforgettable, it actually smells incredible… Hopefully, this helps guys wake up to the realities of conventional personal care products and pushes them towards natural.”
Why did she come up with this? We don’t exactly know, but some suspect that she knew it would stir up conversation and have high sales, and she was suspiciously dodging questions from People when asking if she had a stake in the Dr. Squatch company. Maybe it’s just another great business decision, and good for her if it is!
Sydney Sweeney Has American Eagle Jeans
The American Eagle ad campaign featuring Sweeney met immediate backlash following its release. While social media picked apart many things, the main point of controversy in this ad is the line when she says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue,” followed by the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
Some media users have called the campaign “tone deaf” and a portrait of eugenics that is inappropriate in modern society. On X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote, “Maybe I’m too f*cking woke, but getting a blue-eyed, blonde, white woman and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics, feels weird, especially considering the current state of America.”
American Eagle was quick to jump to their ad’s defense and stood by their decision to feature Sweeney, saying, “Her jeans. Her story … We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their American Eagle jeans with confidence, their way.”
It isn’t often that a company fully backs its decision in the face of backlash; most try to find a way to duck the blame. American Eagle’s choice to stand by their creation might have been the moment that public sentiment changed, and simmered off to indifference.
American Eagle stock soared almost 40% in the wake of the ad and is up overall in a 6-month span. While the media backlash was strong, the ad actually positively affected the company. American Eagle Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers stated, “Sweeney is a winner, and in just six weeks, the campaign has generated unprecedented new customer acquisition.” Maybe all publicity really is good publicity.
So, is Sydney Sweeney ragebaiting us all on purpose, or is she just getting caught up in things by accident? If I had to guess, I’d say this is a calculated decision — and she is fooling us all. In her 2024 Glamour interview, she told them, “There’s nothing that I do that is just by happenstance, but also I’m very flexible with the moves that have to be made. It’s important. This industry is like playing chess.”
If this is a game of chess, she is moving each piece with incredible precision. With all of the conversation around her, I know I’ll be watching the tabloids to find out about her relationship status with Braun. Moreover, I plan to see her new movie, Christy, a biopic sports drama of American boxer Christy Martin, out of pure curiosity. Early reviews have even said her acting is worthy of an Oscar, despite it being out of her usual wheelhouse.
Despite the backlash, Sweeney continues to bop to the top of the Hollywood leaderboard. Oh, and did I mention she is reportedly starring in The Devil Wears Prada 2? Personally, I think her PR team is putting in the work, and she’ll make a seamless transition into one of the most powerful stars in no time. Now the only question is: What planned controversy is next?
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