BY: LBS STAFF
Published 1 hour ago
Euphoria co-stars Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney are not on the best of terms, it is reported.
After six years on the HBO teen drama, opposing political views have got between Zendaya, 29, and 28-year-old Sydney’s friendship which is now in tatters, insiders claim.
It is said that Zendaya is ‘refusing’ to do press calls for the upcoming season of Euphoria with Sydney, and that they will not be seen standing next to one another, according to sources working on the show.
The White Lotus actress Sydney sparked controversy in July when an American Eagle ad campaign featuring the star was launched with the tagline ‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.’
The pun on the word ‘genes’ sparked considerable backlash from the public, who compared it to rhetoric surrounding eugenics and white supremacy.
After this, multiple news outlets in the US reported that Sweeney’s voting records show her being a registered Republican, though she has not spoken out about this.
President Trump even weighed in, saying ‘Now I love her ad’ after being told the news.
Meanwhile, Zendaya has vocally opposed Trump. After he won presidency for the first time in 2016, the Spider-Man star took to social media and said she was ‘speechless, petrified, heartbroken and weary’.
‘I don’t know what to say or what to do. I guess I just never knew how many people in this country didn’t love other people in this country,’ she said.
Now sources claim their apparent differences have led to a feud between the actors.
An insider told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s a difficult position for Zendaya to be in because if she even stands next to Sydney on the red carpet, it can be read as her excusing Sydney’s views on Trump and her refusal to apologise for the racist ad.’
Until now the pair seemingly had a good friendship, as Sweeney previously cheered on Zendaya when she won an Emmy in 2020.
‘We were all watching the Emmys because we were all crossing our fingers and we just freaked out,’ Sydney said, adding: ‘It’s so amazing, I’m very, very proud and excited for Z.’
Talking about working with Zendaya on Euphoria, Sydney reflected that she was ‘really lucky’, adding to Access Hollywood: It’s been amazing being able to watch her and just see how much of a boss-a** she is.’
Sydney recently told GQ that the reaction to the jeans ad was a ‘surprise’ and heavily hinted she will not be weighing in on the backlash or responding, as she said: ‘When I have an issue I want to speak about, people will hear.’
Trump doubled down on his praise of Sydney after her reported voting records were revealed, as he took to Truth Social to unload a fiery rant explaining why the actress’jeans campaign makes ‘woke’ Taylor Swift ‘no longer hot’.
‘Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the “HOTTEST” ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are “flying off the shelves”,’ he began.
‘Go get ‘em Sydney! On the other side of the ledger, Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER! The CEO just resigned in disgrace, and the company is in absolute turmoil.
‘Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad. Shouldn’t they have learned a lesson from Bud Lite, which went Woke and essentially destroyed, in a short campaign, the Company.’
He went on to claim that the ‘market cap destruction has been unprecedented’ before turning his attention to Swift, who is not affiliated with the jeans campaign.
‘Or just look at Woke singer Taylor Swift. Ever since I alerted the world as to what she was by saying on TRUTH that I can’t stand her (HATE!),’ Trump continues.
‘She was booed out of the Super Bowl and became, NO LONGER HOT. The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’
American Eagle defended their campaign, writing in a statement: ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.
‘We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.’
Meanwhile, Sydney has not clarified her political views.
Metro has contacted reps for Syndey Sweeney and Zendaya for comment.
via: Metro
Politics Divide Sydney Sweeney & Zendaya, Rumors Say
Hollywood superstars Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya, who formed a bond on the set of fan-favorite psychological teen drama Euphoria, now seem to have parted ways due to their contrasting political ideologies. Sources close to the pair have suggested that a rift has developed between the two friends, with the MCU star supposedly distancing herself from Sweeney due to the latter’s controversial American Eagle jeans ad as well as her support for Donald Trump’s administration.
According to a recent report published by The Daily Mail, Zendaya has refused to take to the stage along with her Euphoria co-star during the promotional events of the HBO series’ upcoming third season.
Explaining the ‘bitter feud’ between the duo, an insider remarked, “It’s no wonder she’s refusing to do it. It’s a difficult position for Zendaya to be in because if she even stands next to Sydney on the red carpet, it can be read as her excusing Sydney’s views on Trump and her refusal to apologise for the racist ad.”
Notably, Sydney Sweeney recently made her stance on her American Eagle jeans ad clear, stating that she was fully aware of what she was doing and still decided to go ahead with the advertisement. “I’m way more aware about things than people think. The ad spoke for itself. I did a jean ad. The reaction was a surprise. When I have an issue I want to speak about, people will hear,” the 28-year-old actress said of the controversy.
The said promotional campaign featured the tagline, ‘I have good jeans and good genes,’ which many interpreted as an expression to encourage white supremacist ideology. As such, both Sweeney and American Eagle faced much criticism on the internet for quite some time.
Moreover, Sweeney is also a vocal supporter of the Trump administration. On the other hand, Zendaya has publicly expressed her disdain for the Republican leader. The duo has yet to issue an official statement regarding their apparent feud with one another.
The post Politics Divide Sydney Sweeney & Zendaya, Rumors Say appeared first on Mandatory.
via: Yahoo
Zendaya Allegedly Refuses To Promote ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 With Sydney Sweeney
Commercial success, political noise and brand-safety calculations can produce the precise conditions where a studio prefers separate publicity rather than joint promotion.
Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney are at the centre of a viral claim that the former has refused to promote the forthcoming third series of Euphoria alongside her co-star.
Both actresses remain two of Hollywood‘s most bankable young stars, yet the fallout from Sweeney’s high-profile American Eagle campaign and the political and social noise that followed shows how a cascade of controversies can create the conditions in which a leading actor might reasonably hesitate to share a promotional stage with a co-star.
American Eagle‘s ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ campaign launched on 23 July 2025 and immediately polarised audiences.
The advert’s pun, playing on ‘jeans’ and ‘genes’, and creative choices prompted accusations that the campaign was tone-deaf and opened space for political interpretation. Critics argued the creative leaned into a narrow visual ideal; supporters said the hullabaloo was manufactured by online commentators.
The campaign nonetheless delivered tangible commercial outcomes. American Eagle reported brisk sales and publicly noted the campaign’s contribution to markedly improved trading results, with the retailer crediting its recent marketing push for higher engagement and stronger comparable sales. The brand also stated that proceeds from the limited-edition ‘Sydney Jean’ would benefit Crisis Text Line.
Sweeney has since addressed the controversy in longform interviews, telling GQ she was ‘surprised’ by the backlash and framing the campaign as a straightforward fashion collaboration rather than a political statement. That defensive posture, however sincere, does not always satisfy critics and can harden into a reputational flashpoint when other actors, stakeholders, or interest groups decide to amplify the allegations.
Studios and their talent handlers make promotional plans that balance artistic messaging, audience goodwill, and commercial objectives. When one cast member becomes the centre of a controversy, several predictable pressures arise that can escalate into a public split.
Studios and corporate partners increasingly vet public appearances to avoid association with controversy that might damage box office receipts or advertiser relationships. A high-visibility controversy tied to gender, race, or politics raises red flags with sponsors and international distributors; mitigation strategies range from rescheduling junkets to staging separate promotional appearances.
Lead actors who have cultivated a careful public profile and who may serve as both performer and executive producer weigh reputational risk differently. Zendaya has publicly emphasised discretion and control over her projects, telling Vanity Fair that she has been ‘waiting’ to make Euphoria’s next season and that she is protective of her creative choices.
When an unexpected controversy arises around a co-star, a prudent artist or their representatives may request separate promotional schedules to avoid being drawn into debates unrelated to the work. That pragmatic decision can be read by the public as a snub even when it is a contractual or reputational necessity.
Human motives mix with industry mechanics. Sweeney’s rapid rise, recent political scrutiny, and intense social-media debate have made her a lightning rod. She has experienced invasive paparazzi attention and body-shaming and revealed how these pressures complicate day-to-day life. Combined, those pressures help explain why a studio might prefer to stage segmented publicity rather than co-dependent press tours.
That said, the existence of controversy is not evidence of deliberate personal animus between co-stars. In most documented cases, when a studio or an actor declines a joint promotional appearance the formal record shows logistical explanations, scheduling conflicts or brand safety concerns rather than an explicit ‘refusal’ born of personal ill will.
If promotional separation were to materialise between Zendaya and Sweeney, watch for three markers: an agent or studio line citing ‘scheduling’; staggered press dates and regional appearances; and clear corporate messaging from the network about creative continuity. Those elements would indicate risk management rather than a personal feud.
Zendaya and Sweeney remain powerful draws; it is the industry’s job now to navigate how the public conversation around one campaign affects the carefully choreographed business of selling a television season.
via: International Business Times
