Lizzo Fires Back at Sydney Sweeney's Ad: Race, Fashion, and Controversy

Lizzo Fires Back at Sydney Sweeney's Controversial American Eagle Campaign

The drama is brewing, and Lizzo is not one to shy away from it! The Grammy-winning singer has weighed in on the hot mess surrounding Sydney Sweeney's new campaign with American Eagle, and let's just say she's bringing the heat.

For those who may have missed the initial outrage, Sweeney, 27, appeared in a commercial for the denim brand where she made some... questionable statements. "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color," Sydney said with a straight face. And then, because who needs subtlety, she added: "My jeans are blue."

But Lizzo was not having it. The 37-year-old singer, known for her unapologetic confidence and empowering messages, took to social media to share a Photoshopped meme of herself in a similar pose, with the caption: "My jeans are black..." It's clear that she was calling out Sweeney's eugenics-esque comments.

But what's even more juicy is that American Eagle's CEO, Jay Schottenstein, has been MIA amidst the controversy. Sources close to the company told TheScholarlyNote.com that his silence is deafening – and it's not just because he's trying to avoid a public relations nightmare. Apparently, independent polling shows that only 30% of people find the commercial off-putting, but considering the backlash on social media, you'd think it was way higher.

As for Sweeney, she's yet to address the criticism directly, but her Instagram feed has been filled with posts from fans defending her and praising her "great genes." But let's be real – this is just a classic case of trying to silence critics with a show of diversity. On Sunday, American Eagle posted an Instagram photo featuring a black model fronting their fall denim campaign, complete with the caption: "Throwing in a little color for some razzle dazzle."

But fans weren't buying it. "This post screams 'See, we have black friends,'" one commenter wrote. Another chimed in: "Try again." And let's not forget the subtle jab at Sweeney's "Sydney Jean" – the denim brand is donating 100% of proceeds from the sale to a mental health support non-profit, Crisis Text Line.

But what really gets our attention is Lizzo's post coinciding with her PAPER magazine interview. When asked about her natural beauty and why she chooses not to cover it up, Lizzo proudly declared: "I love my natural face... I look at my mother's face and I'm like hell yeah. I feel very blessed to have great genes and I wanna show it." Yeah, because who needs an Oscar when you can simply be yourself – flaws and all?

And if that wasn't enough drama for one day, Lizzo also announced that she's reached her weight-loss goal, having lowered her body mass index (BMI) by 10.5 and lost 16% of her body fat since 2023. But here's the thing – she's been super secretive about it, repeatedly denying rumors that she was on the trendy GLP-1 drug Ozempic until finally confessing to trying it in the past on a podcast.

But let's talk about what really matters: Lizzo's upcoming projects! She's set to star in and produce a biopic about pioneering electric guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, which she hopes will make her a household name alongside Elvis. "I want to make Sister Rosetta Tharpe a household name as big as Elvis," she told PAPER. "When people talk about rock 'n' roll, it begins with her."

And if that's not enough, Lizzo is also prepping for the release of her fifth studio album, Love in Real Life – which she teased on social media last week by saying she was "back in the studio." But don't get too excited, folks – she'll have to put all that aside soon when she faces off against her former backup dancers in a jury trial over their lawsuit alleging sexual, religious, and racial harassment. Lizzo has vehemently denied all allegations.

In conclusion, it's clear that Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign has been nothing short of a disaster – but hey, at least Lizzo is speaking truth to power!