LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Reality' star Sydney Sweeney reflected on the controversy that started when she uploaded pictures of her mother's birthday party sporting Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats. The Gen-z rising star of the popular HBO series 'Euphoria' and 'White Lotus' came under fire from fans who saw someone sporting a Blue Lives Matter shirt in one of the pictures she shared on Instagram to celebrate her mother's 60th birthday.
Sweeney talked about how she was encouraged to pursue acting by her mother in particular. She has been upfront about how much she admires her parents. The HBO television series 'Euphoria' featured Sweeney in the role of Cassie Howard. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 'A' Drama Series. Sweeney will be next appearing in the Tina Satter-directed HBO movie 'Reality'.
READ MORE
Sydney Sweeney tears up on IG Live after trolls call her 'ugly', fans say ‘leave her the hell alone’
What was the birthday party controversy about?
In August 2022, Sydney planned a surprise hoedown with a Western theme to honor her mother, who turned 60. Several photos from the party, where attendees could be seen sporting red caps with the message "Make America 60 Again" on the front, were posted on Instagram by 'The Handmaid's Tale' actress and her loved ones.
The "Make America Great Again" motto and related merchandise from former President Donald Trump appeared to have served as inspiration for the bespoke hats. The actress was swiftly slammed on social media for throwing a party that appeared to support extreme political viewpoints.
In a video the actress posted of herself dancing with her loved ones, some visitors could be seen wearing red caps, which resemble those worn by former president Donald Trump's followers. One of the pictures in question is a candid shot where Sweeney's eyes are closed, no one is looking directly at the camera, and she isn't striking a pose as she stands next to her mother.
A portion of the Blue Lives Matter shirt is hidden. While Sweeney and the media have not released the identity of the man in the photo, it stands to reason that he is a friend or relative of Sweeney's mother. The picture is not intended to be a statement of Sweeney's personal political beliefs.
What did people slamming Sydney Sweeney say?
Celeb attacks are frequently exaggerated, and this one has been no different. However, Sweeney's innocence also lacks credibility. A shirt with a narrow blue line slicing through an American flag enables observers on the internet to infer certain things about the person wearing it, and that's exactly what people did. Some people interpreted the shirt as a support of the contentious emblem or a reflection of the wearer's own political ideas. The entire situation, according to one commenter, was a "White supremacist party." Sweeney received advice from some users to cut off contact with her family.
Reportedly, these types of responses are typical of the Twitter pile-on: they obliterate nuance, ignore potential intentions, assume knowledge of her private life, and litigate extremely difficult questions — like how we should handle relationships with relatives and friends who hold disagreeable views — with the black-and-white perspective that flourishes on Twitter but seldom informs real life.
Online followers were outraged and took to Twitter to slam Sweeney for the 'MAGA' controversy. One one the followers commented, "We from the Sweeney Delegation are having a vote about nixing her and her kin from our clan." A second one wrote, "Sad times when your favorite celebrities support hatred & bigotry. This is so messed up because I was so ready for season 3 of @euphoriaHBO but that's definitely over now. No way I'll be able to watch scenes with Cassie's character. I'm done with her & HBOMax as a whole."
Another exclaimed, "I’ve got a newsflash for you: half the country is conservative. Most ppl have conservatives in their immediate family. It’s stupid to keep pretending they don’t exist or they’re some anomaly." One more tweet read, "Full offense to Sydney Sweeney but if a family member asked me to incorporate off-brand MAGA hats into their birthday party theme I would simply 1) not and 2) not attend the guaranteed shitty party lol."
What was Sydney Sweeney's response to the controversy?
The 'Euphoria' actress said, "Honestly I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation. It's been turning into a wildfire and nothing I can say will take it back to the correct track." Sweeney went on to say, noting some concerns she received from trolls, "I don't think there's any winning, I'll see people say, 'She needs to get media training'. Why, do you want to see a robot?" as per British GQ.
She continued by saying that while she "sadly" reads the comments, she often feels like social media misrepresents her. For example, comments she made to The Hollywood Reporter about not being able to afford a six-month career break were misinterpreted to make her seem unappreciative of her success.
"You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention,", the 'White Lotus' star tweeted on August 27. "Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone and Happy Birthday Mom!"
Yes, there are significant restrictions on what we may infer about Sweeney's own life, thus her request that the public "stop making assumptions" seems logical. Yet speculating about the individual sporting a Blue Lives Matter shirt and considering the ramifications of casually publishing a picture of the message it represents isn't unreasonable.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
