Sydney Sweeney, an unwavering advocate against double standards, found herself amidst an online uproar following her collaboration with Dr. Squatch. This partnership introduced a limited-edition series of bar soaps infused with her actual bathwater, prompting the "Euphoria" actress to affirm, without any hint of regret, her stance on the matter.
"It was primarily the women who commented on it, which I found quite intriguing," she revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on August 20. "They all embraced the concept of Jacob Elordi's bathwater with open arms."
Indeed, the release of her costar's film "Saltburn" saw a peculiar fan response. In one scene, Barry Keoghan's character, Oliver, sipped bathwater after Jacob's character, Felix, had indulged in self-pleasure within the tub. This very scene inspired fans to create a "Bathwater Candle," paying homage to the memorable moment.
Yet, Sydney's Dr. Squatch campaign failed to ignite the same fervor. Despite this, the 27-year-old fearlessly confronted the avalanche of negative feedback. "It's crucial to stay attuned to what people are saying," she elucidated. "Because, ultimately, it's a dialogue with the audience."
Her bathwater soap indeed created quite a stir when she first unveiled the viral partnership in May. "You kept inquiring about my bathwater after the @drsquatch ad," she captioned her Instagram announcement. "So, we kept it."
Interestingly, the "Anyone But You" star later confessed that the innovative product was her brainchild. "It's more amusing to observe others discussing it," she shared with E! News in June, adding, "I was the one who pitched the idea."
More recently, Sydney once again captured headlines with her latest partnership with American Eagle. Critics accused the campaign of promoting eugenics through a play on words involving "jeans" and "genes."
"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, shaping traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color," Sydney stated in the July campaign video. "My jeans are blue."
Although the actress has yet to respond to the controversy, American Eagle has come forward to defend its intentions behind the advertisement. "‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ was and always will be about the jeans," the clothing company clarified in an Instagram statement on August 1. "Her jeans, her story. We continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their unique way. Great jeans look good on everyone."
