Sydney Sweeney‘s made a name for herself by appearing in front of the cameras for much of her life … but not all the recent attention surrounding the actress has been positive.
The performer raised her public profile in some of the most popular shows of the early 2020s, although her reputation was briefly thrown into jeopardy when she did a controversial ad for a clothing company.
Here’s a look at how the actress rose to fame, then faced a controversy.
Sydney Started Acting When She Was Just a Kid
Sweeney started acting before she’d even become a teenager, starting off with bit parts in various movies and TV shows, including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Heroes.”
Her career gradually gained traction, and she started taking on recurring roles in shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Everything Sucks.”
Sweeney’s career really took off when she starred as Cassie Howard on the smash hit HBO series “Euphoria,” earning herself an Emmy nomination in 2022.
The actress’ work for HBO wasn’t limited to one project, as she filled a supporting role in the first season of “The White Lotus” — and she picked up another Emmy nomination for “Euphoria.”
She Eventually Began Producing Her Own Films
Sweeney eventually moved into producing while maintaining her career as an actress, founding a production company called Fifty-Fifty Films in 2020.
One of her earliest successes was the 2023 rom-com “Anyone But You,” costarring in it with Glen Powell … and the two actually faked a romance over the course of the movie’s press run.
She also produced the 2024 horror film “Immaculate,” in which she starred as a young nun who joins a sinister convent.
Sweeney produced the flicks with her former fiancé, Jonathan Davino.
Sydney Was Formerly Engaged to a Producer — and Moved on With a Music Executive
Sweeney and Davino were first linked back in 2018, when they were spotted together at several public events.
The actress and the businessman dated for four years before he popped the question in 2022.
However, they called time-out on their romance in January 2025, and a source told People the performer wanted to “focus on her career” and wasn’t “ready to settle down.”
Sweeney didn’t stay single for long, however, because we revealed she started casually seeing music executive Scooter Braun in September 2025.
She Ended Up in Hot Water After Appearing in an American Eagle Ad
Not all of the attention surrounding Sweeney has been positive, though … she was at the center of a media firestorm in July 2025 when she appeared in an American Eagle ad campaign titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
The ad saw the actress making references to genetics, and a voiceover featured a play on the words “jeans” and “genes.”
The backlash to the ad was almost immediate, as many critics drew parallels between its content and the concept of eugenics, and several prominent individuals — including Donald Trump — shared their reactions to the ad in the days following its release.
While the controversial campaign may have brought negative attention to both Sweeney and American Eagle, the brand’s stock increased by 10 percent following the ad’s release.
