Danica Patrick defends controversial Sydney Sweeney ad

Autumn Hawkins

Danica Patrick defends controversial Sydney Sweeney ad image

© David Kirouac // © Wendell Cruz

NASCAR driver Danica Patrick reacted to Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle ad.

 “Can anyone tell me what’s wrong with the new AE ads?! Very confused,” Patrick asked on her Instagram Story on Wednesday, July 30.

The race car driver shared a video on her Instagram Story of the content creator Kaylor Betts, who explained why people were outraged at the ad.

"We have to boycott American Eagle,” Betts said. “If you haven’t heard of this yet, brace yourself. This is a trigger warning. You’re not going to believe it. They had Sydney Sweeney in one of their ads. And if you don’t know Sydney, she’s a white girl.”

Patrick seemingly defended the video and responded that she believed it was, “hilarious.”

American Eagle responds to Sydney Sweeney ad backlash

The ad, which features the Euphoria star, plays on the word "jeans," sparking controversy online this week.

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color," she says as the camera pans to her face. “My jeans are blue.”

A narrator is then heard saying, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

The controversy began as many found the ad using eugenics which is defined as, "is broadly defined as the use of selective breeding to improve the human race," according to the National Institute of Health. Since ther verbage in the ad plays on "jeans" as "genes" and insinuates that Sweeney -- a white blonde woman -- has "great genes" many fans took offense to it. 

Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always ways 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,” AE posted on Instagram Friday.

"So now 'jeans' are passed down from parents to offspring?  Let’s be fr it was never about jeans," one fan wrote in the comments.

"So what is the correlation between Jeans and eye color again?" another fan asked.

"lmao no way is this your actual response," another fan noted.

Sweeney at this time has not responded to the backlash.

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Autumn Hawkins

Autumn Hawkins is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A New Jersey native, she got her start in media working in broadcast for WPRI, FOX Entertainment and the CW Providence as an entertainment producer and coordinator. She later held the role of National R&B and Hip-Hop editor for Beasley Media. More of Autumn's work can be found across OK! Magazine, Compulsive Magazine, Lowkey R&B and on-air with Beyond The Record.