Did Sydney Sweeney visit a gun range? Viral video of actress showing off shooting skills explored amid American Eagle Ad controversy

Sydney Sweeney has been in the news lately due to the American Eagle ad controversy.

Amidst the backlash over the commercial, The Voyeurs actress’s shooting skills have also come under discussion online. In a viral video, Sweeney is seen proficiently operating a pistol at a gun range. The clip has been reposted multiple times on X by different users, while many seemed impressed by the Anyone But You star.

However, the much-talked-about footage is not a recent upload; it was originally shot in 2019, and Sydney Sweeney didn’t post about a recent visit to a gun range. As of this writing, the Madame Web actress’s latest Instagram post is the controversial American Eagle advertisement about the jeans.

In July 2019, Sydney Sweeney posted two clips of her training at the practice range at Taran Tactical Innovations, owned by renowned Hollywood tactical weapons trainer Taran Butler. The actress captioned her Instagram post:

“training for my next project with @tarantactical 💥”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney)

The video seemingly resurfaced after Taran Tactical Innovations’ Instagram account posted an edited clip featuring shots from the American Eagle commercial. The caption for the post read:

“Do you think Sydney Sweeney has great splits?”

So yes, the Immaculate star visited a gun range but the viral video is over six years old.

American Eagle responds to the “Jean” controversy following the Sydney Sweeney commercials

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by American Eagle (@americaneagle)

The Euphoria star is the face of American Eagle Outfitters’ new advertising campaign. However, the new series of commercials, released in July, has garnered controversy for the following tagline:

“Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”

Many users on social media accused American Eagle of using N*zi dog whistles or racial undertones. The critics claimed that the ad implied that the actress had “great genes.” In a particular promotional video, a double of The White Lotus Season 1 star was seen pasting a poster on a wall, with “Genes” being struck through and replaced by “Jeans.”

Sweeney and the clothing brand received some support from certain users, but the online backlash has continued. While the actress has yet to say anything publicly, American Eagle has responded to the controversy in an Instagram post.

Referring to the ad campaign’s tagline, the clothing company’s team wrote in a statement:

“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her Jeans. Her Story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

However, it is not the first time Sweeney has received online backlash, particularly from liberal users on X. In August 2022, after she and her brother posted pictures from their mother’s 60th birthday, many spotted some guests wearing MAGA-style hats. In reality, though, they featured the “Make Sixty Great Again” motto instead of “Make America Great Again.”

Sweeney shared her disappointment on X and called out certain users who misinterpreted her mother’s birthday celebrations as an “absurd political statement.” She told Variety about the guests wearing fake MAGA hats to her mother’s birthday get-together in August 2023:

“The people in the pictures weren’t even my family. The people who brought the things that people were upset about were actually my mom’s friends from L.A. who have kids that are walking outside in the Pride parade, and they thought it would be funny to wear because they were coming to Idaho.”

Aside from the ongoing controversy, Sydney Sweeney also made headlines recently after BuzzFeed reported that she is a registered Republican. The outlet cited “publicly available voter registration records” and asserted that the actress has been registered with the Florida GOP since June 2024. Sweeney has yet to react to BuzzFeed's trending story, as well.