What's Inside?
- Sydney Sweeney rejects the “MAGA Barbie” label, saying political narratives are imposed on her without consent.
- She explains why responding to online speculation often feels like a no-win situation.
- The actor reaffirms her commitment to art, unity, and avoiding divisive political discourse.
Sydney Sweeney has learned what happens when silence meets the internet. At 28, the actor finds herself navigating fame in an era where speculation often travels faster than truth. A recent interview with Cosmopolitan shows her drawing a clear line between who she is and what others project onto her. While promoting her new lingerie brand SYRN, Sweeney addressed the online habit of labeling her “MAGA Barbie,” a nickname she never chose and does not endorse. Her response was calm, grounded, and revealing. Rather than leaning into outrage, she explained why she refuses to let political narratives define her public identity or her work.
Sydney Sweeney, MAGA Barbie Label and the Cost of Online Narratives
Sydney Sweeney made it clear that politics has never been her calling. “I’ve never been here to talk about politics. I’ve always been here to make art, so this is just not a conversation I want to be at the forefront of,” said the Euphoria star. She explained that staying out of political debates often invites others to fill the silence with their own assumptions. “And I think because of that, people want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn. But it’s somebody else assigning something to me, and I can’t control that.”
Asked why she does not publicly shut down those claims, Sweeney admitted there is no simple answer. “I haven’t figured it out. I’m not a hateful person. If I say, ‘That’s not true,’ they’ll come at me like, ‘You’re just saying that to look better.’ There’s no winning. There’s never any winning.” Instead, she chooses consistency over correction. “I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am. I can’t make everyone love me. I know what I stand for.”
She also spoke about how people online build “their own narratives” that fuel headlines and clickbait. Scrolling through social media, she often sees “hate of me,” a reality that clashes with how she views herself. The gap between perception and truth, she said, can be exhausting.
Sydney Sweeney’s MAGA Barbie Controversy and Choosing Art over Politics
Sweeney has repeated one idea across interviews, and she does not waver from it. “I’m not a political person,” she said. “I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics. That’s not an area I’ve ever even imagined getting into. It’s not why I became who I am.” Her focus remains on storytelling, whether through roles in The Housemaid or Christy, or through building her brand.
The scrutiny intensified after her American Eagle jeans campaign sparked backlash in July 2025. Even President Donald Trump weighed in months later, adding fuel to an already loud conversation. Sweeney told PEOPLE in December that she was “honestly surprised by the reaction.” She clarified, “I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
Her message, however, stays simple. “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness,” she said. Reflecting on her usual silence, she added, “I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it. So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.”
For Sweeney, the goal is not to win arguments online. It is to keep making art, lead with love, and let her work speak louder than the noise.
