Sydney Sweeney's Silver Dress Stunned the Internet — But Her Past 'Scandals' Were Even More Talked About

Scandalous headlines continue to follow Sydney Sweeney, and this time was no different. When she stepped onto the red carpet in Los Angeles wearing a shimmering, sheer silver gown, it seemed she had delivered yet another glamorous fashion moment.

But the uproar that followed wasn't just about the dress. For Sweeney, who often finds herself at the centre of public debate, the outfit became another chapter in a story defined as much by controversy as by style. In many ways, the silver gown acted as a flashpoint, reigniting discussions about her past headline-grabbing moments.

The Silver Dress Scandal

At the 2025 Variety Power of Women event in Beverly Hills, Sweeney wore a floor grazing silver gown by designer Christian Cowan that featured a translucent mesh fit and minimal adornment which made it quite transparent.

The media described it as 'see-through chic' and a 'peek-a-boo masterpiece.' However, the reaction online was immediate and polarised. While some praised the daring nature of the look, others felt the outfit undercut the serious tone of her speech about being underestimated and misjudged in Hollywood as per reports where she had said,

'I know what it feels like to be underestimated—to have people define you before you've had a chance to define yourself. I know what it feels like to have to prove that you deserve to be here, to be seen, to be taken seriously'.

As per reports the reaction was fierce with one person saying, 'How are we supposed to focus on her words when the first thing being presented is her chest?'

Another one said, 'Nothing empowering about her showing her body to be objectified which she has complained about,'

However the red carpet actress Sharon Stone defended Sweeney's choice, saying,

'It's OK to use what mama gave you.' she added 'It's hard to be hot, and I think we all know that. It's really OK to use every bit of hotness you have — right here, right now — and go for whatever that is. Everybody has their own certain kind of hotness, their own certain thing, and you're supposed to go for that. Because who are you not to be beautiful? You know, who you are isn't an accident.'

What this moment perhaps revealed was how Sweeney's public image which is glamorous, provocative in a sense and self aware continues to blur the line between fashion statement and cultural commentary.

Bathwater Scandal

This is not the first time Sweeney has been the centre of discussion as earlier in 2025, Sweeney made headlines for a niche but viral collaboration with men's grooming brand Dr. Squatch where they launched a limited edition bar of soap branded 'Sydney's Bathwater Bliss,' which allegedly contained her actual bathwater. The product sold out swiftly and instantly became a talking point across internet platforms. In interviews Sweeney reflected on the backlash, noting its odd twist:

'It was mainly the girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting. They all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi's bathwater.'

She made clear she had no regrets, viewing the campaign as part of her smart branding strategy. The bathwater soap story showed her willingness to go to unconventional territory and engage with audience reaction in real time, even when it skews into the absurd, nothing can shake her.

American Eagle Scandal

Perhaps one of the most intense controversies in Sweeney's recent public life stemmed from her role in a campaign with clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters. The ad campaign's tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' played on the pun of 'genes,' and included scenes in which she discussed inherited traits like hair and eye colour before pointing out the blue of her jeans.

Critics on social media argued that the campaign carried undertones of eugenics and white-supremacist aesthetics, especially given the focus on a blonde, blue-eyed woman and the word-play on genetics. The campaign led to a heated online debate about beauty standards, race, and identity in advertising.
American Eagle defended the campaign by insisting it was always 'about the jeans.' Nevertheless, the episode contributed to the narrative that Sweeney's brand is as much cultural lightning-rod as it is entertainment buzz.