Halsey shows support for Americana as Sydney Sweeney faces criticism over her American Eagle ad campaign

Recently, Halsey has become a staunch supporter of the film Americana, the crime thriller that the artist stars in alongside Sydney Sweeney, as the movie is still set to gain fame (or infamy, rather) while having second-hand fallout from Sweeney's controversial American Eagle ad campaign. Americana, the feature film directed by Tony Tost, which came out on August 15, 2025, is worth noting. It was made for $9 million and only made $500,000 at the box office. Many attribute the boycott to Sweeney's ad blunder, but Halsey did not appear worried at all at the prospect of any financial loss. They went to social media to endorse the art of the film, and to implore fans to disregard the tabloid elements, and shared in their Instagram stories-

"You should go see this movie, because @tonytost made an awesome film. ... way better than the 24 hr gossip tabloid denim bullshit."

Sydney Sweeney’s July 2025 American Eagle campaign, intended as a playful nod to denim with the tagline-

“Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” 

Sparked widespread outrage. The ad’s wordplay—Sweeney stating, “Genes are passed down… My jeans are blue”—was criticised for evoking eugenics and white supremacist imagery, particularly due to her blonde hair and blue eyes. 

Critics drew parallels to WWII-era propaganda, with some calling it “disgusting and disrespectful to Black culture,” though claims like those from a viral post attributed to WNBA star Angel Reese were debunked as fabricated. American Eagle clarified,

“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,”

But the controversy persisted, amplified by Sweeney’s reported Republican voter registration, which drew polarising comments.

Halsey’s call to protect Americana and support Sydney Sweeney:

Halsey, who uses they/them pronouns, did not shy away from the ad’s misstep, but they also expressed an attempt to separate that misstep from the value of Americana. “I do think our words are important in this climate,” they wrote in a now-deleted X post,

“but it seems unfair for the news cycle to predatorily lynch a hardworking director and his crew for a short film that had nothing to do with a dumb advertising take.” 

Halsey also demonstrated a lot of compassion for the often less glamorous people in film - grips, editors, designers, etc. In their Instagram Stories, they doubled down praising Tost's vision:

“He's an incredible artist who made a great film with hardworking, talented people. If you love cinema then cinema is first.”

 A film caught in cultural crosshairs:

Americana, a South Dakota-set thriller about a stolen Lakota “ghost shirt,” features a stellar cast including Sweeney, Halsey, Paul Walter Hauser, Eric Dane, Simon Rex, and Zahn McClarnon. Despite positive critical reception for its gritty modern Western vibe, the film’s theater release was eclipsed by the ad scandal.  The controversy was further complicated by Sweeney's June 2025 Dr. Squatch campaign, which was called antifeminist for ads selling soap made with her bathwater from her tub, making her second ad-related scandal in a few months.

Sweeney has not publicly addressed the backlash behind the American Eagle ad. Her silence is in contrast to Halsey's more vocal, but still disclaimed, advocacy. "If you are a fan of mine and think I 'support eugenics,' idk why you are a fan then tbh," Halsey wrote in a now-deleted X post, which clarified that their support is specifically for the film's crew. Although Americana was starting to gain traction at the box office, it is now collateral damage, too.

Where to watch Americana:

Americana remains in select theatres and is available for pre-order on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Stay tuned for more updates.