Sydney Sweeney and the CEO of American Eagle rang the New York Stock Exchange opening bell on Monday. This collaboration comes a year after the Euphoria actress appeared in the controversial ad campaign for the clothing company.
Sydney Sweeney spotted ringing bell at Stock exchange
Sydney Sweeney rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday morning. She was joined by American Eagle Outfitters Chairman and CEO Jay Schottenstein, as well as other executives from the company (via Fox Business).
The NYSE opening bell rings at 9.30 am ET, marking the start of each trading day. The ringing of the closing bell at 4:00 pm ET then concludes the trading session for that day. Many notable celebrities have rung the bell in the past, including singer and actress Liza Minnelli, rapper Snoop Dogg, Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps, and many more.
During Monday’s bell-ringing ceremony, Schottenstein made a statement celebrating American Eagle’s collaboration with Sweeney. “Our partnership fueled the most memorable campaign in our history and was one of the contributing factors to our business success in the second half of last year,” the CEO said (via WWD).
He added, “We will continue to build on this momentum in 2026 through compelling product collections and even more engaging experiences for our customers.”
Sweeney had previously appeared in American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” ad campaign, which sparked widespread backlash last year. The now-viral video shows The Housemaid star zipping up her jeans, while saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
This tagline drew criticism from viewers who noted that the pun on “jeans/genes” carried racial undertones. In response, the apparel brand denied any connection to eugenics. In a statement on their official Instagram page, American Eagle wrote, “’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.”
