Sydney Sweeney
sydney_sweeney/Instagram

Sydney Sweeney's 'Erika Kirk' vibes at a recent red carpet event have drawn the ire of online critics.

Appearing at Euphoria's Season 3 premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sydney Sweeney graced the red carpet wearing a vintage Pierre Cardin dress, Effy jewellery, and pointed-toe heels. What really caught her critics' attention was her long, wavy, blonde hair, which many noted was too similar to Erika Kirk's.

Sweeney's hairdo drew backlash on social media, with many users calling out the 'MAGA-coded' look. A registered Republican, the actress has already been nicknamed 'MAGA Barbie' for her political affiliation.

Critics Slam Sydney Sweeney's 'Erik Kirk' Couture

Online reactions highlighted striking similarities, with one X user remarking, 'I see she got a piece of erika kirk couture.' Other comments went further, asserting her look was screaming Republican. 'She look like Erika Karoline Kirk Leavitt,' one user quipped, referring to the incumbent White House Press Secretary.

Others saw parallels to other Trump-adjacent figures, with one user declaring, 'It's giving Mar-a-Lago,' alluding to President Trump's primary residence. 'It's giving Kimberly Guilfoyle. It's giving Lauren Sanchez. It's giving no real stylist will work with you.'

Things were reportedly tense between Sweeney and Euphoria co-star Zendaya, who avoided her on the red carpet because of their opposing political views. 'It's not like they have had a big bust-up, but Zendaya has quietly distanced herself from Syd,' a source told The Sun. 'Their politics are wildly different. It's a bit of a headache because Zendaya doesn't want to be associated with a Trump supporter.'

Sweeney's Response to Rumoured MAGA Ties

Sweeney has long faced speculation about her rumoured MAGA ties, but she has consistently avoided addressing them in public. Speaking to Cosmopolitan about her criticised American Eagle jeans ad, she stated, 'I've never been here to talk about politics. I've always been here to make art.'

The actress said critics have since weaponised her silence. 'People want to take it even further and use me as their own pawn,' she asserted. 'But it's somebody else assigning something to me, and I can't control that. I'm not a hateful person. If I say, "That's not true," they'll come at me like, "You're just saying that to look better." There's no winning.'

Sweeney affirmed her stance, noting, 'I just have to continue being who I am, because I know who I am. I know what I stand for. I'm not a political person. I'm in the arts. I'm not here to speak on politics. That's not an area I've ever even imagined getting into.'

That neutral statement has only intensified backlash online, with one Reddit user arguing, 'Being 'non-political' is a right-wing position.' Another user called her 'a spineless coward,' for allegedly not taking sides on political issues.

What Started Sydney Sweeney's 'MAGA Barbie' Controversy?

Sydney's MAGA Barbie label stemmed from her brother's 2022 Instagram post celebrating their mother turning 60. Photos showed two family members wearing red hats saying 'Make Sixty Great Again.'

The post immediately drew backlash, prompting Sweeney to call out the 'many misinterpretations' about the event. 'You guys this is wild,' she wrote on X. 'An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions.'

She addressed the controversy at length in a 2023 interview with Variety, asserting that some of the people in the photos weren't even her family. 'The people who brought the things that people were upset about were actually my mom's friends from LA 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,' she explained.