Sydney Sweeney addresses ‘misinterpretations’ over MAGA hat controversy at mother’s birthday party

‘People are so fast to build someone up, and then they love tearing them down,’ actress says

Sydney Sweeney has addressed “misinterpretations” of the red MAGA-style hats worn at her mother’s birthday party last year.

The actress, 25, reflected on the backlash she received over the party, where guests appeared to be wearing Blue Lives Matter T-shirts and Make America Great Again hats, during an interview with Variety, published on 9 August. Amid the criticism in August 2022, her brother, Trent, denied that the guests were wearing MAGA hats, commenting on his own Instagram post that the hats actually read: “Make Sixty Great Again.”

Speaking to Variety, Sweeney offered clarifications about the party and the accessories, noting that the party guests who wore the hats were not related to her. “There were so many misinterpretations,” she said. “The people in the pictures weren’t even my family.”

The Euphoria star also alleged that the guests wearing what appeared to be the red hats made popular by former president Donald Trump wore the outfits as a joke.

“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 said.

Sweeney also spoke candidly about her experience in the spotlight amid her rise to fame, and how fans praise and criticise her online.

“People are so fast to build someone up, and then they love tearing them down,” she said. “And it’s so fascinating to see. Three years ago, I was going to college just like everybody else. And all of a sudden, I’m not a human anymore.”

In August 2022, Sweeney posted a series of pictures and videos to Instagram from her mother’s 60th birthday. “No better way to celebrate my momma than a surprise hoedown,” she wrote in the caption of the post, which showed snaps of her family dressed as cowboys and riding a mechanical bull.

However, her followers were quick to critcise party-goers, who were pictured in T-shirts that appeared to bear the “Blue Lives Matter” flag. Blue Lives Matter, a countermovement that emerged in response to Black Lives Matter, advocates for the protection of law enforcement officers and for attacks against police or first responders to be treated as hate crimes.

Amid criticism from viewers over the red had worn by guests, which were reminiscent of Trump’s Make America Great Again hats, Trent clarified that the hats actually said “Make Sixty Great Again,” in honour of his mother’s birthday.

This is not the first time Sweeney has addressed the backlash, as The White Lotus star took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express her frustrations over the criticism at the time, writing: “You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions.”

Sweeney also reflected on the backlash she received during an interview with British GQ in November 2022. “Honestly I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation. It’s been turning into a wildfire and nothing I can say will take it back to the correct track,” she said.