Did Angel Reese call for a boycott of American Eagle over Sydney Sweeney jeans ad? Viral claim debunked

A headline stating that WNBA player Angel Reese supposedly claimed that she would boycott American Eagle over Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad is going viral on social media.

The headline first appeared on Facebook on August 15, 2025. Although it is uncertain which user or page made the report, it spread on the social media platform.

The headline stated that Angel Reese allegedly said that the American Eagle ad was supposedly "disgusting and disrespectful to black culture," which is why she reportedly would be boycotting the clothing brand.

"WNBA star Angel Reese has called for a MASSIVE boycott of American Eagle, denouncing the brand's latest ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney as "disgusting and disrespectful to black culture,"" the post read.

The content creator Gaming Jeen reuploaded the image with the quote,

"American Eagle should remember I have 3 billion fans around the world."

The Facebook post garnered more than 3,500 reactions and 2,500 shares.

The claim is false as Angel Reese has not made these comments or called for a boycott. The headline seemingly originated from a meme or a satirical post. It also made its way to X, where a tweet by @Sassafrass_84 garnered 4,700 likes.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama shared her thoughts on Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark's rivalry

Michelle Obama appeared on the August 14, 2025, episode of the All the Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson podcast. She and her brother, Craig Robinson, an American college basketball coach, discussed the viral rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark in the WNBA.

For the unversed, the feud between the two basketball players dates back to their college days. While some WNBA fans criticize the coverage of the feud, saying it allegedly fueled racism against Angel Reese, others claim the beef helped the sport gain popularity.

Clark and Angel Reese's rivalry is often compared to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, as their feud helped popularize the NBA in the 1980s.

Speaking of the WNBA, Michelle Obama highlighted the lack of maternity policy, noting that the sport reportedly has not yet figured out how to "recognize" female athletes.

"Politically, you want to say, 'It's great, they're making their way,' but you know, I say 'Faster, better, quicker.' Why do women athletes have to jump through so many hurdles? And it's not just in basketball... We haven't figured out how to recognize and pay women for their talent," Obama said.

In the podcast, Craig Robinson stated that feuds help popularize games, and for the WNBA, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark's rivalry was important.

Michelle Obama agreed, saying the hate the two players receive online is something they have to "withstand," as that's how they make their living.

"These young kids today, what they have to go through, what they have to be able to withstand, because social media is such a huge part of the world. There's the hate. But now the hate is in your room, on your phone, with you all the time. And you can't, for whatever reason, tell these kids to turn it off, because they're making their living that way," the former First Lady stated.

In other news, Sydney Sweeney has not addressed the American Eagle controversy. The clothing brand released a public statement on August 1, 2025, saying that their ad was not about "genes," clarifying that it was about "jeans" in the first place.

In August 2025, Sydney Sweeney's two films will be released in theatres. Americana, written and directed by Tony Tost, will be released on August 15.

The thriller film Eden, directed by Ron Howard, will be released in theatres on August 22, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates.