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Sydney Sweeney responds to American Eagle ad controversy
“I did a jean ad,” the Euphoria star says, surprised by the reaction but sticking to her everyday denim truth
It is something that she, Sydney Sweeney, could have easily explained, as jeans are her everyday wear: one leg at a time, and then they go on without giving them another thought.
After the Euphoria star’s accusation of being responsible for a controversial case by her appearance in an American Eagle ad that some people misinterpreted as a double entendre of “great jeans” and “great genes” where she responded to the whole conversation. Sydney said to GQ in an interview published on Nov. 4: “I just did a denim campaign. The reaction was definitely a surprise to me, but I love denim. That is all that I wear, namely jeans. I am literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.”
Sydney Sweeney: “I did a jean ad” — backlash didn’t faze her
The Euphoria star described the reaction as unexpected but maintained the commercial’s message: “It was great jeans”
Sydney Sweeney said in an interview with GQ that she was caught off guard by the controversy of her American Eagle commercial but she remained cool. “I did a jean ad,” she said, explaining that she is a denim and T-shirt kind of girl. She also said that even a negative reaction from a few prominent people like ex-President Donald Trump, “didn’t change her” — she was always the one to understand the ad: great jeans.
Filming Euphoria kept her off her phone; she insists the spot’s only aim was to promote jeans
Sydney Sweeney told GQ that she “wasn’t thinking of it like that, of any of it,” and that she pretty much shut down the whole thing from view because she was filming Euphoria and doing 16‑hour days. “I kind of just put my phone away… I don’t really bring my phone on set, so I work and then I go home and I go to sleep. So I didn’t really see a lot of it.” Sweeney, despite the backlash and a series of high-profile commentary, claimed she had no intention beyond just promoting a good pair of jeans. “I did a jean ad,” she said.
She prefers characters that struggle with morality and claims that she will only intervene with her opinion when it is really necessary
“I have always considered that I am not the one to tell people what to think,” Sydney Sweeney declared while describing her method of working in roles and being in public. “I am just the one to a little bit open their eyes to different ideas. Therefore, I choose those characters and films which are complex, possibly morally questionable, and characters that are probably—on the page—unpleasant, but then you discover the humanity under them,” she added.
When questioned if she would ever plunge into debates with her opinion, she refrained from actually denying that possibility: “I suppose that when I have a problem which I want to talk about, then people will hear me.”
A lot more stars that have talked out publicly during their controversies
Colleen Ballinger Allegedly Improperly Communicated with Underage Fans
Colleen Ballinger, who is widely recognized for her Miranda Sings character, was accused of serious misconduct in 2023, according to a video by YouTuber KodeeRants that was deleted shortly after its release. The video accused her of grooming and having inappropriate physical contact with underage followers. The video allegedly showed a group text called “Colleeny’s Weenies,” in which the messages supposedly depicted Ballinger soliciting her fans for discussions on the sexual topics. NBC News covered the story but was not able to verify the screenshots independently.
Colleen Ballinger reacts to grooming accusations via a ukulele tune
A couple of days after a video from a YouTuber accused Colleen Ballinger of having inappropriate interactions with underage fans, Adam McIntyre, a former fan-account operator, recounted his personal experience in videos and accused her of emotional grooming. Ballinger did not respond to comment requests from various media outlets like E! News but on June 28, she shared a 10-minute ukulele song on her personal YouTube channel in which she accused a “toxic gossip train” of causing “manipulation station” and referring to the internet as “tying me to the tracks and harass[ing] me for my past.” As a result of the controversy, the last shows of her Miranda Sings tour have been canceled, and she has not shared anything on social media since. NBC News covered the story and the allegations but mentioned that the screenshots that are going around cannot be verified by them independently.
Rachel Hollis slammed for resurfaced comments about her domestic helper
A resurfaced video of a now-deleted post — shared by Angie Treasure — features Rachel Hollis talking about a woman who ‘cleans the toilets’ and memoralizing an April 2021 livestream in which a viewer called her ‘privileged AF.’ In response, Hollis said she was ‘super freaking privileged,’ yet she mentioned that she ‘worked my ass off to have the money to have someone come twice a week and clean my toilets.’
When it was suggested that she was ‘unrelatable,’ Hollis replied that she was not interested in being relatable at all and maintained that historical figures like, ‘Harriet Tubman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Marie Curie and Oprah Winfrey were ‘all unrelatable AF.’
Rachel Hollis Apologizes After Resurfaced Comments About Privilege
Upon this clip being resurfaced, Rachel Hollis made an Instagram apology expressing regret that she “caused tremendous pain” when she cited prominent women – including a few women of color – whose struggles, she admitted, she doesn’t understand. She recognized that she had negated those people whose works have not yielded them financial security, most of the time because of systemic racism and bias, and she also said that the proper thing for her now is “honestly, be quiet and listen”.
Arielle Charnas taunted for breaking quarantine
In an email to her followers, the mom of three and lifestyle blogger of New York City, Arielle Charnas of Something Navy, announced that she is infected with coronavirus and that she will isolate herself in the apartment with the rest of the family. On the 8th day, Charnas and her family including the nanny moved out of the city to the Hamptons thus sparking a wave of outrage on the internet when they decided to leave their quarantine place. People were unhappy calling the situation a “fake quarantine” since Charnas said she took walks for “fresh air” instead of a strict isolation and her husband Brandon jokingly said that only “hot” people were getting the virus.
Arielle Charnas apologizes after Hamptons quarantine controversy, pivots to direct‑to‑consumer
Back in March 2020 Charnas announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19 and made a promise to quarantine. However, after eight days her household, the nannys included, moved to the Hamptons which resulted in a backlash of the public. Afterward, she shared an extensive apology in which she narrated that the nanny was also ill, that they took their safety measures (doormen cleaned the lobby, no stops for gas, groceries delivered) and that she was sorry for not having the right feeling. The scandal made her lose the partnership with Nordstrom, so Charnas decided to take her brand back to the direct-to-consumer market, and focus on collaborations and e-commerce. “People wanted me to be more sensitive about what was going on in the world, and I should have been,” she said to The Glossy Podcast.
Tanya Zuckerbrot F‑Factor Diet Allegations Prompt Public Criticism
In 2020, fashion influencer Emily Gellis Lande initiated a series of posts sharing anonymous testimonies of people who claimed to have followed the high-fiber F-Factor Diet provided by the registered dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot. The social posts alleged a variety of negative effects – from rashes and severe abdominal cramps to symptoms described by the posters as metal-poisoning-like – and at least one revolt claimed to have suffered a miscarriage as a result of the plan. Those consumer accounts became a topic for a wider audience, and the controversy was even profiled by the New York Times. The individual complaints referred to in Gellis Lande’s posts have not been confirmed by E! News.
Tanya Zuckerbrot F-Factory: Alleged Denial, Influencer Lawsuit
The 2020 series of posts by fashion influencer Emily Gellis Lande, shared anonymous accounts from people who said they experienced negative effects after they followed Tanya Zuckerbrot’s high-fiber F-Factor Diet. Among the allegations were rashes, severe cramps, symptoms similar to metal poisoning, and, in one claim, a miscarriage. The posts received a lot of attention, a piece from The New York Times included. Zuckerbrot responded to the situation by hiring Lanny Davis as her lawyer. She rejected the accusations and any implication that her program causes eating disorders. In her bars and powders, out of roughly 176,000 sales, she said she had received only about 50 health complaints. To counter heavy metal concerns, she issued a Certificate of Analysis and on Today, she defended the plan.
Zuckerbrot attacked Gellis Lande’s intentions, reacted to her publicly and, later, filed lawsuits in which she accused the influencer of orchestrating a smear campaign that aimed at destroying her brand. Both the lawsuits are still pending, and Gellis Lande has denied the accusations.
Jessica Mulroney faces backlash after clash with blogger Sasha Exeter
In a video of almost 12 minutes, lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter explained how Jessica Mulroney “took offense” when Mulroney reacted to a request from Exeter for her followers to use their voices to support the Black community. Mulroney was allegedly spoken negatively about by Exeter to brands and a warning letter was sent by her; Mulroney wrote a comment of apology to the public under the video of Exeter but later in a DM which Exeter also shared said, “Liable [sic] suit. Good luck.”
Mulroney apologized and promised to elevate Black voices, while her husband Ben Mulroney withdrew from eTalk during the resulting scandal
Jessica Mulroney, in a post of confession, gave her account promising to “promote Black voices by having them take over my account and share their experience,” but CTV announced that it will not be renewing her reality series I Do, Redo. Ben Mulroney, her husband, announced that he will no longer be the co‑host of CTV’s eTalk and said that he wishes the person who will take over his position be “Black, Indigenous, or a person of color who can use this important platform to inspire, lead, and make change.” Mulroney subsequently refuted the widely known friendship of Meghan Markle in a post which has since been removed, stating, “Meghan and I are family. She is the kindest friend.”
FBI searches Jake Paul in connection with mall incident in Scottsdale
In response to an alleged unlawful entry at a May 30 protest, law enforcement officers served a federal warrant at the YouTuber-turned-fighter’s home in Calabasas.
Jake Paul — the guy who made crazy Vine and YouTube videos, then went on to get more famous (and did a short stint on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark) — said he was filming a Black Lives Matter protest that came to Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall when the cops showed up and told everyone to leave. The FBI served a federal search warrant at his residence in Calabasas on Aug. 5, and the agency confirmed that the warrant was in connection with the incident that took place on May 30; according to Scottsdale police, Paul unlawfully entered the mall and remained there after the evacuation order. Paul took it to social media to say that not he and his people but looters and vandals that might have been filming in other places.
Video revealed guns that were taken; Paul called rumors “nonsense” and mentioned that he will join the investigators voluntarily
The argument about the FBI raid at Jake Paul’s house in Calabasas got more heated after a piece of local footage showed a number of firearms being taken out of a vehicle by the police. In a video from August 12 that is no longer available, Paul said that the raid was “singlehandedly [sic] related to the looting in Arizona that happened. It’s an investigation,” and rejected as groundless those that were suggesting other things: “Rumors being involved in so many different things that my character has nothing to do with and s—t that people are making up is completely ridiculous.” No charges have been filed; Paul’s attorney told E! News that the team “will cooperate with the investigation.”
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Ned Fulmer breaks silence on cheating scandal
After three years, Ned Fulmer, who was dropped from The Try Guys following accusations of cheating on a large scale, spoke to People about the aftermath. “I was pretty much the one guy in my videos who kept saying how great my wife and her relationship were,” he said. “It was something that the fans seemed to really connect with and I took advantage of it knowingly. It definitely was a part of my life.” He added that he sees the reason why the scandal impacted the audience so much: “I get that it is the reason why it was such a big scandal—because it is ironic and people feel like the floor was taken from under them. It must have been very painful and devastating for the viewers.”
James Charles sparks controversy with critiques of celebrity beauty launches
More than a year after mending his relationship with fellow beauty vlogger Tati Westbrook, James Charles found himself in new public feuds. In August 2020, he posted a subtweet insinuating that some celebrities shouldn’t launch makeup lines, which was interpreted by many as a shot at Alicia Keys, who is widely known for her makeup‑free look. Charles later apologized, saying he was not “the gatekeeper of makeup.”
Shortly after, he had to apologize again. The Instant Influencer host publicly criticized Lauren Conrad’s new beauty line in a series of Instagram Stories where he exposed the empty packaging, which he said he had received, to his roughly 22 million followers and branded the person “somebody who has no business having a makeup brand” whose makeup brand was being launched.”
Conrad blames a team member who was overworked; Charles says that they have resolved the matter
Lauren Conrad played down the drama after James Charles criticized her new beauty line for sending empty samples and she explained on Instagram that the mistake was hers: the team member who assembled the gift bags – “me,” she confessed – was the one who accidentally included a test bag of empties when packing. Conrad said the employee will be fired and put the mistake in the frame with self-deprecating humor.
Charles, however, later sentiments apologizing that his videos were meant to be taken lightly and that he and Conrad “had a private talk about the misunderstanding and are both fine.” Nevertheless, the incident served as a reminder that he is aware of the consequences he faces as a result of his public criticism.
Myka Stauffer shares news about adopted son going to new family
After a very difficult moment, the Stauffer Life family vlog mom, Myka Stauffer, made a video in May 2020 in which she opened with the words, “This is by far the hardest video James and I have ever publicly had to make.” It was obvious from the start that she was not going to share tips on parenting. Instead, she and her husband announced that they had transferred their 4-year-old son Huxley — a son they adopted from China in 2017 — to “his now new forever family” and disclosed that they had a hard time understanding his needs as he was diagnosed with autism.
Myka Stauffer slammed by public after placing adopted son with new family
Myka’s announcement that she and her husband had given away their then-4-year-old son Huxley “to his now new forever family” incited a vehement response from nearly one million subscribers, with the critics accusing the couple, who have four other children, of being either ridiculously stupid or of using Huxley for clicks and donations and then leaving him when his care became too difficult. As a result of the backlash, several brand partners like Fabletics, Suave, and Danimals have cut off their relationships with the Stauffers, and the Ohio Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that it is checking on Huxley’s welfare.
Authorities, however, closed the investigation “without any charges” while Myka’s business took a massive hit and is still closed. After posting a long apology for “being so naive when I started the adoption process” and emphasizing that the family was “not under any type of investigation,” she has not uploaded any videos on YouTube or Instagram.
Kaitlyn Teaches defends husband’s “dawg” lunch prank amid backlash
TikToker describes the prank as slang‑based humor, not an insult, and asks critics to take it easy
After the viral unboxing of a husband’s lunch which featured a dog food bag labeled “Because you’re my dawg” and what she called some “two‑day‑old” Chipotle, TikToker Kaitlyn Teaches in a video of September 2025 responded to the numerous online criticisms. “It’s time to explain what happened this weekend,” she said, pointing out the overreaction to the joke by the viewers.
Kaitlyn argued that her husband never intended to insult her by calling her a “dog.” “He did not call me a D‑O‑G,” she said, then explained: “He did not call me that. D‑A‑W‑G. Dawg as in homie, American slang for homie. It’s what we call each other. It’s a joke, J‑O‑K‑E, joke, joke.” She invited followers to think about the environment and the way the words were said before reacting.
Bryce Hall and Jaden Hossler arrested during a cross‑country trip amid quarantine backlash
The TikTok stars were criticized for breaking the stay‑at‑home rules and later charged with drug possession after their road trip
Back in May 2020, when Bryce Hall shared plans of a cross-country road trip with fellow TikToker Jaden Hossler, fans were quick to point out the apparent violation of quarantine rules. Hall, however, went against the criticism on Twitter, stating that “most states lifted quarantine” and assuring that they would be “staying out of contact from everyone.” Unfortunately, just four days later, Lee County, Texas, deputies apprehended Hall for marijuana possession and Hossler for possession of a controlled substance, with both being released on bail the following day. Communications were sought for comment – Hall’s declined, and Hossler’s did not respond. In June, Hall wrote an article for People acknowledging that he was on the path to sobriety, admitting his faults, and promising to learn and grow.
Stokes Twins faked “bank robbery” with their prank and caused police warning
In October 2019, Alan and Alex Stokes, the brothers known for their YouTube videos, fabricated a scenario in which they put on black clothes, simulated robbing a bank, and called an Uber as a escape – filming the footage was their plan. The driver, who was completely unaware of the joke, declined to leave and a witness called the police. Police officers from Irvine came, after a short time fired a gun at the Uber driver to get him out of the car, but then after checking that he was not involved they let him go; authorities gave the twins a warning about the risk of their behavior.
Stokes Twins’ fake “bank robbery” prank leads to arrest and plea deal
In October 2019, YouTube personalities, Alan and Alex Stokes, faked a bank robbery, wore black, pretended to have stolen a bank, called an Uber as a getaway — filming the footage.
The driver, who had no idea what was going on, refused to leave, and a witness called the police. Irvine officers came and temporarily pointed a gun at the driver to get him out of the car before they let him go. The twins allegedly repeated the stunt on the University of California, Irvine campus four hours later and were arrested, according to the police.
Prosecutors cautioned that the prank could have caused a grave injury. Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer said, “It could have led to someone getting seriously hurt or even killed.” Their lawyer claimed they were innocent, however, the brothers eventually admitted to a lesser charge of false imprisonment and reporting false emergencies, and in exchange, they were given 160 hours of community service and a one-year probation.
Shane Dawson denounced after a scathing tweet in June 2020 about the beauty community
With close to 34 million followers, Shane Dawson was once referred to as the “King of YouTube”. However, in June 2020, he faced a massive backlash when he deleted the rant he had posted announcing his departure from the online beauty scene. In the deleted tweet, he accused creators of being “attention seeking, game playing, egocentric, narcissistic, vengeful, two-faced, ticking time bombs” and also singled out James Charles, calling him “a young, egocentric, power-hungry guru who needed to be served a slice of humble pie the size of the f—king Empire State Building”.
Shane Dawson apologizes following backlash over his past racist and sexually charged content
Once the “King of YouTube,” Shane Dawson in very bad terms faced a backlash in June 2020 brought about by a tweet and his past controversies coming back to light. In a 20-minute video titled “Taking Accountability,” he acknowledged that he had in the past done blackface, made racist remarks, joked about pedophilia, and had a video in which he sexualized then-11-year-old Willow Smith and said that he wanted to “own up” to the damage he had caused. YouTube put a hold on monetization of his channels. In 2021, Dawson came back to content creation and later said that he was “so grateful that I got cancelled, because it really changed my life.”
