Beyoncé has once again found herself in the crosshairs of conservative commentator Megyn Kelly. The conservative pundit is now under fire for slamming the superstar’s Levi’s campaign while praising actress Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad. Her remarks have reignited backlash from fans accusing her of having a long-standing bias against the Grammy winner.
The latest wave of criticism began when Kelly took to X to voice her disapproval of Beyoncé’s denim-focused Levi’s ad, which showcases the artist in vintage Americana aesthetics — platinum blond hair, denim outfits, and cinematic scenes like motorcycle rides and laundromat hangouts. The campaign is a nod to Levi’s iconic commercials from the ’80s and ’90s and places Beyoncé at the center of a modern reimagining of classic American style.
But Kelly didn’t hold back.
“This is the opposite of the Sydney Sweeney ad. Quite clearly there is nothing natural about Beyonce,” she wrote in her Aug. 5 post. “Everything — from her image to her fame to her success to her look below — is bought and paid for. Screams artificial, fake, enhanced, trying too hard.”
This is the opposite of the Sydney Sweeney ad. Quite clearly there is nothing natural about Beyonce. Everything – from her image to her fame to her success to her look below – is bought and paid for. Screams artificial, fake, enhanced, trying too hard. https://t.co/sQXijTgrJn
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 5, 2025
The comparison struck a nerve, not only because of Beyoncé’s cultural impact, but because of the controversy surrounding Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign.
Launched in July 2025, the ad centered on her “great jeans/ great genes,” a pun that critics swiftly called out as a white supremacist dog whistle. With her blond hair and blue eyes on display, the campaign included the phrase “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” prompting many to examine what seemed to be eugenic language and historical ideas about racial purity.
EUGENICS. Or just good jeans?
It’s pretty light fair as far as jean ads go. Or is it a gene ad?“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye colorᅳMy jeans are blue.”ᅳ Sydney Sweeney pic.twitter.com/Sdtjn3Vqtz
— American Screed (@american_screed) July 28, 2025
Despite the initial backlash, the campaign found strong support among conservative circles.
President Donald Trump praised it as the “hottest ad out there” and applauded Sweeney’s reported Republican registration. The endorsement from the sitting president helped American Eagle’s stock jump nearly 30 percent, transforming a controversy into a conservative rallying cry.
The president has posted on his Truth Social to praise Sydney Sweeney & slam woke culture…and Taylor Swift.
“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there,” Trump writes. “Go get ‘em Sydney!”
“Just look at Woke singer Taylor Swift. Ever since I alerted… pic.twitter.com/bBurgho0hn
— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) August 4, 2025
Kelly’s latest dig at Beyoncé adds fuel to an already heated history. In 2024, she made headlines when she criticized Beyoncé for “playing victim” after the singer featured clips of Kelly’s past criticisms in her Cowboy Carter tour visuals. Kelly dismissed Beyoncé’s presence in country music entirely, calling her “another one of the most privileged, beloved women in the world.”
Meanwhile, Beyoncé continues to break records. Her album “Act II: Cowboy Carter” became the first by a Black woman to top the Billboard Country Albums chart. It also reached number one on the all-genres Billboard 200, marking her eighth consecutive album to do so, while smashing streaming records on Spotify and Amazon Music.
Social media quickly pushed back on Kelly’s critique, pointing out she misses the bigger picture that Beyoncé’s success comes from real talent and hard work, not just a polished image. Comparing her to Sydney Sweeney as “fake” versus “natural” ignores that both use professional styling.
One user wrote, “This is the most childish thing I have ever seen..so if the white girl gets an ad the blk girl has to have one too.. tat for tat.”
Another clapped back at Kelly’s timeline, tweeting, “This advertising campaign came out before Sydney Sweeney’s ad, you turnip.”
A third user added, “Your decades-long obsession with Beyoncé is very pathetic.”
While another user pointed out her enduring legacy. “This is pure hater energy. Beyonce has been successful for over 30 years and she proves time and time again why she has remained a cultural icon for that entire period.”
But not all comments bashed the political talking head, also critiquing the “Run the World” singer.
One person wrote, “I have to ask – why is it ok for Beyonce who presents herself as a ‘proud black woman’ to dye her hair platinum blonde???”
Another said, “So let me get this straight people are having a fit about Sydney. I see posts all the time saying white girls cannot braid their hair because it’s a black thing. Yet Beyoncé can try to look like a white girl and that’s OK.”
These criticisms reflect broader tensions about Beyoncé’s image, calling it “cultural appropriation” or much worse, “whiteface.” From her Pamela Anderson-inspired Halloween look to her Team USA Olympics tribute, she has faced accusations of purposely adopting Eurocentric features.
I remember when Beyonce was black. The fact she wants to dress up as a white Canadian shows us just how much SHE only comes out for a black vote is when it puts her center stage. How do you people respect a hypocrite? She wants to be white. https://t.co/U5nXTj7McA
— TheXFactor (@DeborahTaylor01) November 5, 2024
Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s Levi’s campaign appears to be paying off.
Industry analysts credit the ad with boosting Levi’s global reach and sales, especially among younger, multicultural consumers, the New York Post reports.
This celebrity-driven spike was seen far before the summer campaign. In the spring, Levi’s reported that the singer’s endorsement led to a 9 percent increase in the brand’s global organic growth, according to Ad Week.
Kelly, for her part, continues using her platform to criticize almost any cultural shift she disagrees with, remaining a polarizing voice in conservative media.
Ultimately, these dueling denim campaigns reveal far more than just fashion trends. They’ve become cultural lightning rods, exposing America’s raw nerves around beauty standards, racial dynamics, authenticity, and the age-old question of whose image gets to represent the “real” America.
Beyoncé and Sweeney may be selling denim, but the conversations surrounding them — conversations neither woman is steering — are stitched with far more than cotton. They’re woven with America’s unresolved tensions around race and womanhood.
Great Job Nicole Duncan-Smith & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star Source link for sharing this story.
