actress Sydney Sweeney On Monday, the opening bell rang at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) alongside American Eagle Outfitters President and CEO Jay Schottenstein.

Sweeney also joined other executives from the retailer as he signed a book on the trading floor.

The actress partnered american eagle in 2025 for an ad campaign that garnered attention online.

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Actress Sydney Sweeney appears on a billboard outside the New York Stock Exchange on February 9, 2026 in New York City. (Images by Raymond Hall/GC via Getty)

Sweeney wore jeans and a light blue denim jacket to the NYSE, an apparent homage to the “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” slogan that ran last summer.

The widely discussed campaign generated criticismwith some detractors arguing that his pun blurred the line between fashion marketing and references to genetic traits.

“Genes are passed from parents to children, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” the “Euphoria” star said in the video. “My jeans are blue.”

Actress Sydney Sweeney meets with executives from American Eagle Outfitters as the opening bell rings at the New York Stock Exchange on February 9, 2026 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

president donald trump defended Sweeney in a Truth Social post, saying in part, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get them in Sydney!”

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American Eagle also responded to the backlash, writing on social media that the ad “is and always was about jeans.”

Actress Sydney Sweeney meets with American Eagle CEO Jay L. Schottenstein after ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the American Eagle brand on February 9, 2026 in New York. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

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“Their jeans. Their story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their own way,” the company said.

“Great jeans look good on everyone.”