She shared an AI-generated image of herself in the campaign and captioned it with a pointed play on words.
By Sharmaine Johnson
Lizzo is the latest celebrity to respond to the viral backlash over Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad, but instead of getting angry, she made it a reflective moment.
As criticism around the ad continues to build, Lizzo shared a meme of herself photoshopped into the denim campaign. The image, which appears to be AI-generated, shows her posing in the same style as Sweeney with the caption, “If the Democrats won the election.” She added her own twist on the caption: “My genes are Black…”—a play on Sweeney’s original quote, which has been at the center of the controversy.
In the ad, Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color… My ‘jeans’ are blue.” The line was meant to be ‘playful,’ but the delivery sparked immediate backlash. Many felt it came off tone deaf and uninclusive, and questioned how it made it through a full creative team without being flagged.
Lizzo’s response was met with support in the comments, with fans praising her for not taking the meme personally and keeping the energy light. Some call it a masterclass in handling viral moments, while others noted how her humor undercut the negativity without directly adding to it.
Her post comes as American Eagle continues to stay silent on the uproar. Sweeney, who’s been the target of heavy criticism over the campaign, has not issued any kind of statement either.
Doja Cat also responded to the ad, but her approach was less subtle. In a TikTok video, she put on a heavy southern accent while reciting Sweeney’s script nearly word for word. She captioned it, “My jeans are blee [sic],” mocking the delivery and tone of the original spot.
Both reactions are gaining traction as the internet continues to tear the ad apart.