Sydney Sweeney And Zendaya In 'Bitter Feud' Over Political Views, Says Report

Euphoria cast mates Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney are rumored to be on bad terms right now during in an inopportune time.

via: Daily Mail

The Euphoria actress, 28, has found herself at the centre of several media storms over her political views, endured the end of a seven-year relationship and appeared to be given the cold shoulder by her peers at big A-list events.

Things came to a head this year when it was revealed she was a registered Republican voter and starred in a controversial American Eagle jeans advert which some deemed racist due to a pun linking 'jeans' and 'genes'.

Both of these controversies appear to be very much at odds with most views in woke Hollywood.

She perhaps hoped to distract from the noise about her personal life with the release of her new boxing biopic Christy – but that has not gone too well either.

The opening for the movie – which had a 67 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes on Sunday evening – ranked in the top 12 worst ever for movies showing on more than 2000 screens, Box Office Mojo reported.

So, has Sydney become too toxic for Hollywood? And what is next for the star?

Box office flop

Sydney's latest film Christy suffered a knockout blow as it arrived in select theaters over the weekend, grossing a meager $1.3 million.

The film, starring Sweeney as Hall of Fame boxer Christy Martin, was released in 2,011 theaters, averaging $649 per venue, according to The Wrap.

The opening for the movie – which had a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes Sunday evening – ranked in the top 12 worst ever for movies showing on more than 2000 screens, Box Office Mojo reported.

Three of the films ranking below it were released within the first 14 months of the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in March 2020, a timeframe when movie theatres took a huge business hit amid health mandates.

Sweeney, promoting the film in an interview this past Friday, said she got so immersed in her role as Martin, she dealt with injuries including a bloody nose and a concussion.

The Emmy-nominated actress told The Sun about how she and her co-stars approached the fight scenes during production of the motion picture.

'The girls and all the fights you see are real,' the Spokane, Washington-born star said.

Sweeney told the outlet, 'When I walked in and I met with everyone, I said, 'I want you to hit me. And I want you to hit me hard. And can I hit you?''

She added, 'When you watch all those fights, we're actually hitting each other. We were knocking each other out, we were getting bloody noses. I got [a] concussion. We were actually fighting.'

'I walked onto set everyday surrounded by a crew that poured their hearts and souls into this story,' Sweeney said. 'I fought alongside a group of women who became my family.

'We trained harder than we ever thought we could then would end up singing our hearts out on the ring floor.'

Sweeney paid tribute to Martin, who she said inspired everyone on the movie 'to step into our power.

'Her story made us fight harder for ourselves and for every woman who has ever been silenced,' Sweeney said. 'This film was painful, joyful, resilient, beautiful, it was everything.'

Jeans controversy and MAGA links 

Christy's paltry early returns at the box office come about four months after Sweeney was at the center of controversy as result of an ad campaign for American Eagle that referred to her genetics.

The label's autumn advertising rollout, centered around the actress, had the tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.'

'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour... my genes are blue,' Sweeney said an accompanying video.

In the fallout, critics of the ad campaign said it promoted racial dog whistling, while President Donald Trump showed his support for the actress and the brand.

Sweeney told GQ earlier this month that she found it 'surreal' that the scandal grew so big as to attract attention from the White House.

'I did a jean ad, ' Sweeney told the outlet. 'I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans.'

She added, 'All I wear are jeans. I'm literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.'

Critics accused the brand of echoing eugenicist language around 'good genes' and 'genetic superiority', claiming it appealed to right-wing and white-nationalist groups online.

Others accused it of over-sexualising the actress and pandering to the male gaze – drawing comparisons to Brooke Shields' infamous 1980 Calvin Klein commercial, in which a teenage Brooke declared: 'You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.'

In August, American Eagle defended the ad, insisting it 'always was about the jeans – her jeans, her story.'

But the controversy refused to die down, especially after Trump's remarks politicised the campaign even further.

The controversy came a few years after she had posted snaps of her mother's birthday where party guests were wearing MAGA-inspired hats.

After she said it was an 'innocent celebration' which unintentionally turned into 'an absurd political statement.'

Sydney has been vocal about her support for President Trump and is a proud Republican voter.

Zendaya 'feud'

They grew up together on the set of the dark TV teen drama Euphoria.

But it seems that is where the connection between Hollywood stars Sweeney and Zendaya ends.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last week that the pair are locked in a bitter feud – and are even refusing to stand near each other at events.

Their rift is said to be caused by their starkly different political views.

Sweeney, 28, has been vocal about her support for President Trump and is a proud Republican voter.

She was also criticised for starring in the American Eagle jeans advert.

Zendaya, 29, is said to have been upset by her co-star's views.

She is said to be 'refusing' to do Press calls for the upcoming third season of Euphoria with Sweeney after filming finished earlier this month, according to sources working on the show.

One insider said: '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.'

The pair were once close friends with Sweeney affectionately referring to her co-star as 'Z'.

Zendaya has been outspoken in her opposition to Trump.

In 2020 she shared an Instagram post explaining voting rights with the caption, 'Vote this MF out'.

Aimee Lou Wood backlash 

Aimee Lou Wood last week took a swipe at fellow The White Lotus star Sydney after the actress broke her silence on the controversial ad.

The British actress, 31, weighed in after the celebrated photographer Misan Harriman shared a clip from a new interview with Sydney in which she brushed off the backlash.

Posting footage of the GQ interview on Instagram, the Nigerian-born British photographer, who has shot everyone from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Rihanna and Tom Cruise, condemned Sydney's comments and accused her of failing to acknowledge the harm caused by the campaign earlier this year.

'Presuming that you are not a white supremacist, at least say how horrified you were by how this campaign was amplified and celebrated by unrepentant racists who believe in eugenics,' he wrote. 

'At least recognise the harm your jeans campaign has caused black folk. The undertone of the campaign is that your genetics are superior to others – the play on words is clear as day and racists LOVED it!

'So, presuming you didn't know when you shot it, you certainly do now, and it matters. This ain't it!'

Aimee, who played free-spirited optimist Chelsea in series three of The White Lotus, quickly commented on Misan's post with a green nauseated-face emoji.

Her reaction attracted over a thousand likes in less than an hour, and replies from fans applauding her stance.

'You're a real one, Aimee Lou Wood!' wrote one follower, while another added: 'Clock it sis!'

Others filled the replies with heart and applause emojis, hailing the British actress for speaking out.

Misan, 47, is one of Britain's most respected photographers and filmmakers. He became the first Black man to shoot a British Vogue cover, and his portraits of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – including their 2021 pregnancy announcement photo - became among the most shared royal images of all time.

The Nigerian-born creative is also known for his activism and powerful documentation of the Black Lives Matter protests in London.

He has previously criticised former President Trump's rhetoric on race and has been an outspoken advocate for diversity and representation within the creative industries.

Painful GQ interview 

Sydney was quizzed about the American Eagle ad during a recent interview with GQ.

She impressed MAGA community members and right-wing followers with her refusal to apologize for the controversial comments, while it drew criticism from the left.

'I did a jean ad. The reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. 

'All I wear are jeans. I'm literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life,' she began, unbothered by the backlash.

When pressed about Donald Trump calling the ad 'fantastic,' Sweeney stayed poised, seemingly sidestepping the leading question and simply noting she was surprised by all the attention while staying focused on her work.

'It was surreal… it's not that I didn't have that feeling, but I wasn't thinking of it like that. Or like, of any of it. I kind of just put my phone away. I was filming (Euphoria) every day,' she explained.

When given the chance to address claims the ad condoned 'genetic superiority,' Sweeney simply replied, 'I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.'

Many said she avoided the chance to apologize for what she said – or at least clarify that she didn't have racist views.

What's next for Sydney?

In 2026 Sydney will no doubt be busy promoting season three of Euphoria with the rest of the cast. 

She also stars in The Housemaid alongside Amanda Seyfried which will be released in December.

Other than that her 2026 projects are a mystery at the moment, although it's likely she will have things lined up. 

It has also emerged that she could potentially be cast as a future Bond girl – after attending Amazon boss Jeff Bezos' wedding this summer.

His company bought the rights to James Bond earlier this year for £790million and has already announced that a new 007 film will be directed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve.

He's reportedly been pushing for the blonde bombshell to step into the role of 007's love interest – and he is also said to have plunged some of his considerable fortune into her upcoming lingerie range. 

Those rumours intensified after The White Lotus actress attended Bezos's wedding to Lauren Sanchez in Venice in June.

Asked about the rumours in an interview with Variety, the entertainment industry's business magazine, she appeared to be holding back.

'I can't,' she said, before pausing for a few seconds. 'I don't know,' she continued. 'To be honest, I don't know all the Bond rumours, but I've always been a huge fan of the franchise, and I'm excited and curious to see what they do with it. Depends on the script.'

The actress then added, perhaps only half in jest: 'I think I'd have more fun as James Bond.'

A movie source said: 'Sydney is the top name on the casting sheet for Bond. 'Denis [Villeneuve] believes she is hugely talented, as well as having an alluring appeal to younger generations, vital in modernising the franchise.

'They've hung out together a lot and he has admired her stratospheric rise. Plus, she has the quality of being athletic and able to perform physical scenes, as well as being feminine and following in the legacy of Bond Girls.'

Meanwhile, Bezos and his wife have apparently invested 'seed money' in a private equity business which will help Sweeney 'launch a lingerie line very soon'.

'This has been a huge project for her and something she's been working on for the last year,' a source told US Weekly.

The lingerie line is being backed by Ben Schwerin, a partner at private equity firm Coatue.

The company recently received a £770million investment from Bezos and fellow tech giant Michael Dell via their Coatue Innovation Fund.

Despite its takeover of the Bond movie franchise, Amazon has yet to find a replacement for Daniel Craig, who played the spy from 2008 to 2021.