Sydney Sweeney is opening up — candidly and thoughtfully — about the political labels placed on her online and why she has chosen not to engage with them.
The Euphoria and Anyone But You star found herself at the center of political discourse in summer 2025 after reports surfaced that she had registered as a member of the Republican Party in Florida one year earlier. Around the same time, an American Eagle ad featuring Sydney gained unexpected traction among conservative audiences, prompting online users to associate her with MAGA supporters.
The speculation escalated quickly. The phrase “MAGA Barbie” began circulating widely on social media, and even Donald Trump weighed in with comments of his own. Months later, Sydney responded emotionally, condemning hate and divisiveness — but largely avoided extended commentary.
Now, in a new interview with Cosmopolitan, Sydney is speaking more openly than ever about the experience and its impact on her.
“I play a lot of characters that make questionable decisions or where it’s complicated to like them. People project some of that onto me. But that was scratching the surface of what I’m dealing with now, with people creating their own narratives that serve their purposes, their headlines, their clickbait,” she said.
Sydney explained that the loss of control over how others define her beliefs has been deeply unsettling.
“It’s definitely not a comfortable thing to have people saying what you believe or think, especially when that doesn’t align with you,” she continued. “It’s been a weird thing having to navigate and digest, because it’s not me. None of it is me. And I’m having to watch it happen.”
The actress also revealed that the constant exposure to online discourse has taken a toll on her mental health.
“I’m online and I see things, but I’m slowly pulling myself away. It’s definitely gone to a level where it’s just not healthy for me to digest it all.”
Despite the narratives swirling around her, Sydney emphasized that she does not want to be seen as hateful — and that label, in particular, deeply troubles her.
Responding directly to the “MAGA Barbie” nickname, she explained, “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.”
She added, “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.”
When asked why she doesn’t speak out more forcefully to correct misinformation, Sydney admitted the decision isn’t simple.
“I haven’t figured it out,” she said. “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’s choosing to anchor herself in self-trust.
“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.”
Looking ahead, Sydney made it clear that politics won’t be part of her public platform.
“No. I’m not a political person. I’m in the arts. I’m not here to speak on politics,” she said. “That’s not an area I’ve ever even imagined getting into. It’s not why I became who I am.”
She concluded with a statement that reflects her personal values rather than partisan alignment.
“I became an actor because I like to tell stories, but I don’t believe in hate in any form. I believe we should all love each other and have respect and understanding for one another.”
