‘I’m Not Here To Speak on Politics’: Sydney Sweeney Holds the Line Against Hollywood’s Activism Culture

At a moment when Hollywood stars increasingly use their fame to champion liberal causes, “Euphoria” actress Sydney Sweeney is bucking the trend.“I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics,” the 28-year-old star told Cosmopolitan in a recent cover story. “That’s not an area I’ve ever even imagined getting into. It’s not why I became who I am.”Ms. Sweeney’s political leanings became the subject of intense speculation after she participated in an American Eagle advertisement campaign featuring the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Critics on the left claimed the ad’s wordplay promoted racially coded beauty standards, while commentators on the right dismissed the controversy as overblown.When the actress declined to distance herself from the ad or apologize to her detractors, some observers interpreted her silence as an indication of conservative leanings, dubbing her “MAGA Barbie.”Though Ms. Sweeney recognizes that her apolitical public persona has made her a bigger target, she has no plans to change course. “I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art, so this is just not a conversation I want to be at the forefront of,” she told Cosmopolitan. “And I think because of that, people want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn. But it’s somebody else assigning something to me, and I can’t control that.”She added: “There’s no winning. There’s never any winning. I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am. I can’t make everyone love me. I know what I stand for.”Though the actress acknowledged that the scrutiny has influenced her social media habits. “I’m online and I see things, but I’m slowly pulling myself away,” Ms. Sweeney told Cosmopolitan. “It’s definitely gone to a level where it’s just not healthy for me to digest it all.”Ms. Sweeney’s intentional disengagement from politics represents a rare stance in an increasingly liberal and activist-minded Hollywood, where celebrities routinely use their platforms to advocate for progressive causes — and often condemn peers who don’t.Most recently, scores of A-list actors issued statements or joined campaigns opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, including Pedro Pascal, Ariana Grande, Jenna Ortega, Olivia Wilde, and Natalie Portman.Some have taken their activism further, pressuring fellow celebrities to make their stances clear. Gen-Z music icon Billie Eilish, who called ICE a “federally funded and supported terrorist group,” posted a selfie this week with the caption: “hey my fellow celebrities, u gonna speak up? Or.”

‘I’m Not Here To Speak on Politics’: Sydney Sweeney Holds the Line Against Hollywood’s Activism Culture

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