The post American Eagle defends “Great Jeans” campaign after backlash appeared first on Salon.com. American Eagle is standing by its fall denim campaign starring Euphoria and Anyone But You star Sydney Sweeney after a wave of criticism accused the ads of leaning into racially coded language and imagery.

American Eagle Outfitters has a message to its critics, who took issue over its ad with 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney that sparked a debate over race and Western beauty standards.

Singer Lizzo recently reacted to the controversial American Eagle jeans ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. Ex-Food Network star Paula Deen, who was axed during a racism scandal in 2013, has closed two of her restaurants in Savannah, Georgia.