Aimee Lou Wood

Aimee Lou Wood has taken a swipe at fellow The White Lotus star Sydney Sweeney after the actress broke her silence on taking part in a controversial American Eagle campaign that was accused of having racist undertones.

The British actress, 31, weighed in after the celebrated photographer Misan Harriman shared a clip from a new interview with Sydney, 28, in which she brushed off the backlash surrounding the ad that ran under the slogan ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’.

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.

Sydney, who starred in series one of the HBO hit series as privileged teen Olivia Mossbacher, was addressing the American Eagle controversy this week in her GQ Men of the Year cover story, four months after the ad first sparked outrage online.

Asked if she was surprised by the criticism, the Euphoria star replied: ‘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 also described it as ‘surreal’ that Donald Trump publicly praised the commercial after being told she was a registered Republican in Florida. ‘Oh, now I love her ad,’ the president said to reporters in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

Released on 23 July, American Eagle’s autumn campaign featured Sydney fronting a short film that plays on the words ‘jeans’ and ‘genes’.

In the clip, the actress says: ‘Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.’ 

The camera then pans to her face before she smiles and says: ‘My jeans are blue.’

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.

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.

Aimee, who shot to fame playing kind-hearted Aimee Gibbs in Netflix’s Sex Education, has several professional links to Sydney. 

As well as starring in The White Lotus, Aimee auditioned to play Cassie Carpenter in the HBO drama Euphoria – a role that eventually went to Sydney.