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Megyn Kelly rips Sydney Sweeney over ‘Euphoria’ scene: ‘This is sexualizing infancy’

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:41:57 +0000

Megyn Kelly tore into Sydney Sweeney, blasting the actress over a provocative “Euphoria” teaser that she said crossed a disturbing line.

“This is sexualizing infancy,” Kelly said on Tuesday’s episode of SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show.”

The conservative commentator reacted to a newly released preview for Season 3 of HBO’s hit drama “Euphoria,” which appears to show Sweeney’s character embarking on an OnlyFans-style storyline.

Sydney Sweeney appears in a controversial “Euphoria” teaser that sparked backlash. HBO Max

Kelly described the clip in graphic terms, saying Sweeney is shown “dressed as a baby … sucking on a binky pacifier” with her “legs … completely spread.”

“I can’t believe she agreed to this frankly and was in this,” Kelly said.

The backlash comes as Season 3 of “Euphoria,” which premiered on Sunday, has already sparked controversy over the kink-coded imagery depicted by Sweeney’s character that critics have described as degrading and fetishistic.

Kelly called Sweeney’s pacifier scene “sick” and accused the show of pushing boundaries for shock value.

The former Fox News host also took direct aim at the show’s creator, Sam Levinson.

“I think this guy’s sick … Sam Levinson,” she said.

Megyn Kelly blasted Sydney Sweeney’s “Euphoria” scene as “sexualizing infancy.” The Megyn Kelly Show

She cited reports that Sweeney and other actors who have worked with Levinson on the set of “Euphoria” have pushed back on his suggestions for more nudity in scenes.

Several “Euphoria” actresses, including Sweeney, have spoken out about feeling uncomfortable with the amount of nudity written into the show.

“He constantly wants the women to take their clothes off for, like, scenes that don’t require them to be nude at all,” Kelly said of Levinson.

The HBO drama’s latest teaser suggests a shift in Sydney Sweeney’s character arc. HBO

She framed the controversy as part of a broader cultural problem in Hollywood.

“I think this is another example of Hollywood not understanding at all where the line is,” Kelly said.

“And how most normal people are going to recoil … in response to what’s essentially the sexualization of a child, of a baby.”

The backlash comes as anticipation builds for the next season of “Euphoria,” the HBO drama that helped launch Sweeney to stardom.

The teaser suggests her character, Cassie, may pivot to a social media influencer persona, potentially involving adult content platforms.

Sweeney has addressed concerns about nudity in the series, saying in past interviews that she has pushed back on scenes she felt were unnecessary.

Kelly’s criticism marks a sharp turn from her earlier, more favorable commentary on the actress.

Last year, the podcaster praised Sweeney as a “real” and “natural” beauty while defending her during the backlash over an American Eagle ad campaign in which the actress touted her “great jeans,” punning on “genes.”

Kelly took aim at both Sydney Sweeney and creator Sam Levinson over the themes depicted in the show. HBO

The campaign quickly became a culture-war flashpoint, but American Eagle stood by it — and Sweeney — as the controversy drove massive attention. The company reported surging sales, sold-out denim and a spike in brand awareness.

Kelly applauded Sweeney for largely staying out of the fray at the time, saying she handled the moment “like a boss.”

But Kelly later suggested Sweeney had “caved” to industry pressure after speaking out more directly about the backlash.

The journalist has also criticized some of Sweeney’s wardrobe choices on the red carpet.

Sweeney told People she did the American Eagle ad because she loves the brand and emphasized that she is “against hate and divisiveness,” pushing back on negative interpretations of the campaign.

The Post has sought comment from HBO and reps for Sweeney and Levinson.

The post Megyn Kelly rips Sydney Sweeney over ‘Euphoria’ scene: ‘This is sexualizing infancy’ appeared first on Our Story Insight.

American Eagle Sydney Sweeney campaign ‘hottest ad’: Trump

admin — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 21:33:26 +0000

An American Eagle advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney on billboards in New York, US, on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of American Eagle surged more than 23% on Monday after President Donald Trump complimented the retailer’s marketing campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney.

“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get ’em Sydney!” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social not long after markets opened.

Shortly after Trump’s post, shares of American Eagle jumped. Monday’s gains come a little over a week after American Eagle first announced that the “Euphoria” star would headline its fall marketing campaign with the slogan: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

Initially, the stock rose in an apparent bout of meme stock mania, but over the past week, shares of the company have been down as American Eagle has faced criticism about the campaign. That slump rebounded on Monday when Trump weighed in on the discourse.

The slogan American Eagle chose for the campaign — “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” — has led some far-left critics to say the remark was a double entendre. Instead of being about pants, it was really about the actress’ genetics and the fact that she has blonde hair and blue eyes, critics said. The ad also faced pushback more widely for being overly sexualized and out of touch, reminiscent of previous marketing norms that many say no longer resonate with the public.

American Eagle has stayed largely quiet on the matter — releasing a brief statement on its Instagram account on Friday that said the slogan “is and always was about the jeans.”

“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way,” the company said. “Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The saga highlights the tightrope that marketers are walking when deciding what types of ads to run and the audiences they should be targeting when consumer attention is harder than ever to win and maintain. Bud Lite’s ill-fated Dylan Mulvaney collaboration and the subsequent impact on its sales and its parent company’s stock price, highlighted how things can go wrong when companies release marketing that some may consider “woke.” On the other hand, American Eagle’s campaign is now showing the other side of that coin – what can happen when a company releases marketing that isn’t “woke” and perhaps more accepted on the cultural right.

In the lead-up to American Eagle’s campaign with Sweeney, the company has been struggling to grow sales, and the marketing blitz is one of the many things it’s doing to reverse that negative slump.

It’s too early to say if the campaign has positively or negatively impacted sales, but it has made American Eagle more top of mind with shoppers. Google trend data shows search interest for American Eagle is at its highest level in more than 20 years. Whether or not that search interest translates to more shoppers buying jeans from American Eagle will be more clear when the retailer reports earnings, which is expected in the next few weeks.

As of Friday’s close, shares of American Eagle were down more than 27% so far this year as the company grapples with larger macroeconomic concerns related to tariffs, consumer spending and its own merchandising missteps.

Earlier this year, the company said it would take a $75 million write-down in spring and summer merchandise after it pulled its full-year guidance due to slow sales, steep discounting and a volatile macroeconomic environment.

For its current quarter, American Eagle said in May that it expects revenue to fall 5%, comparable sales to be down 3% and gross margin to be lower compared with the prior year. Its operating income for the second quarter is expected to be between $40 million and $45 million.

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