SYDNEY Sweeney shrugged off the backlash to a box office flop and controversial fashion ad by wowing at the GQ Men of the Year Awards last night.
The 28-year-old Hollywood starlet was back in black with an edgy look for the glitzy event at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles.
She wore heavy black eyeliner, a choker and figure-hugging black dress for the bash, while her shoulder-length blonde hair was textured and shaggy.
Giving plenty of attitude, Sydney gripped her hair and struck a rock ‘n’ roll pose befitting of a bombshell pin-up.
Hailey Bieber also stunned in black, modelling a backless see-through frock on the red carpet, while Halle Berry dazzled in her sequinned dress.
Paris Hilton and pal Lizzo beamed on the red carpet, while Winnie Harlow confidently posed in a daring white number.
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Sydney recently gave an interview to GQ to promote her new movie Christy, in which she plays the boxer Christy Martin.
The hotly-tipped biopic flopped at the box office on its opening weekend, bringing in just $1.3m.
It’s the latest blow for the movie industry following underwhelming returns for Dwayne Johnson’s The Smashing Machine and Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another – though both fared much better than Christy.
During Sydney’s interview, the topic turned to all the noise surrounding the alleged white supremacist undertones of her American Eagle “good jeans” ad.
The interviewer began: “White people shouldn’t joke about genetic superiority; that was the conversation. Since we’re talking about this, I just wanted to give you an opportunity to talk about that situation specifically.”
Seemingly unfussed, Sydney simply replied: “I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”
Elsewhere in the Q&A, she said: “I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.”
As for President Trump’s praise for the jeans campaign – he called it “the hottest ad ever” specifically after hearing that Sydney was a registered Republican – the actress remained coy. She simply responded that his endorsement was “surreal”.
Again, the masses were divided. Fans – and some loyal celebrity friends – spoke out in defence of the Euphoria star.
Sydney’s former Anyone But You co-star Glen Powell called the public indignation over the ad “bulls***”, while Amanda Seyfried – who’s starring in the upcoming movie The Housemaid alongside Sydney – commented under one of her posts: “You Kill. Brave and true.”
But some industry names felt much differently.
The White Lotus star Aimee-Lou Wood posted a vomit emoji under a post that talked about the now notorious ad.
According to insiders, Sydney’s Euphoria co-star Zendaya is refusing to speak to her co-worker, and she won’t be associated with her in any capacity…which makes their future promo trail for season three of Euphoria tricky.
Then, there’s model and actress Ruby Rose, who lashed out at Sydney’s statement that art isn’t made solely to generate money, rather for the wider impact it has.
Ruby – who had previously been cast in the project before being let go – was having nothing of it, writing in a scathing Threads post: “Everyone had experience with the core material. Most of us were actually gay [like Christy]. It’s part of why I stayed in acting. Losing roles happens all the time.
“For her PR to talk about it flopping and saying SS [Sydney Sweeney] did it for the ‘people’. None of the ‘people’ want to see someone who hates them, parading around pretending to be us. You’re a cretin and you ruined the film. Period. Christy deserved better.”
She later doubled down in her comments again, calling Sydney a “psychopath”.
Joining the anti-Sydney brigade, Downton Abbey actor Dan Stevens reshared a post which read: “Sydney Sweeney’s GQ interview is a reminder that ‘not having a stance’ on white supremacy is 100% having a stance on white supremacy.”
Adding to Sydney’s divisive reputation is her new romance with Scooter Braun, 44 – the disgraced record executive who people’s princess Taylor Swift called a “manipulative bully” after he bought the rights to her first six albums and blocked her performing some of the songs.
But Sydney has never been one to back down from a fight or concede to the mob.
Tellingly, she stepped out last year in a T-shirt that read: “Sorry for having great tits and correct opinions”.
And with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly helping to quietly fund a new lingerie project she has in the works, there are still powerful players backing her rise through Hollywood’s ranks.
