Halsey slams calls to boycott Americana
After her co-star Sydney Sweeney was accused of appearing in an advert that has been slammed for allegedly promoting Nazi-style ideologies, Halsey has criticised calls to boycott their new film Americana.
Halsey has criticised calls to boycott Americana.
The new film she stars in alongside Sydney Sweeney has been released following the actress’ controversial American Eagle advert, which has been accused of promoting Nazi-style ideologies.
Halsey, 30, posted a message on her Instagram Stories urging followers to watch the film, which was directed by Tony Tost.
She wrote: “You should go see this movie. Because (director) @tonytost made an exceptional film, in honour of a genre he knows intimately. Because his work and his vision are greater than the 24 hr gossip tabloid denim bulls***.
“If you love cinema, then you should know that cinema comes first. This is cinema.”
Halsey – born Ashley Frangipane – added she believed the controversy surrounding the film’s co-star had unfairly affected its reception.
She said: “I don’t think it’s fair for the media to predatorily rip a hardworking director and his hardworking crew for their film that is completely separate-from and unrelated-to a (pretty dumb) advertising take.”
Crime thriller Americana opened in 1,100 cinemas across the United States last weekend but grossed only around $840,000, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It equates to a per-theatre average of $460 and placed the film 16th at the box office.
The underperformance followed online calls from some viewers to boycott the film after Sydney, 27, was accused of promoting “Nazi propaganda” in a marketing campaign for American Eagle.
The advertisement used the phrase “Genes you can’t change. Jeans you can,” which critics claimed was a reference to eugenics.
American Eagle issued a statement in response, saying: “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Sydney, best known for her role in Euphoria, has not publicly addressed the content of the advert but avoided questions on the subject during recent promotional appearances.
She has also faced criticism after voter registration records showed that she has been registered as a Republican in Monroe County, Florida, since June 2024.
Americana also stars Paul Walter Hauser.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Halsey is best known for genre-blending hits like Without Me, activism, and her collaborations across pop, hip-hop and electronic music.
