Sydney Sweeney says photos from mom's birthday party 'turned into an absurd political statement'

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
·2 min read
Sydney Sweeney has racked up many award nominations for her roles in "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus," now she can add Forbes 30 under 30 to the list.
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Sydney Sweeney asked people to "stop making assumptions" after receiving backlash from pictures taken at her mom's birthday party showed right-wing style clothing.

The "Euphoria" star posted on Instagram Saturday that she threw a "surprise hoedown" for her mom's 60th birthday at a barn in Idaho, the state where she spent parts of her childhood. She posted numerous photos of herself with family, riding a mechanical bull, and dancing.

But one of the photos Sweeney posted showed a man wearing a shirt with an apparent U.S. flag with a thin blue line, which is commonly associated with the "Blue Lives Matter" slogan, a reference to police that has been seen at white supremacist rallies.

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A post shared by Sydney Sweeney (@sydney_sweeney)

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Sweeney's brother, Trent, also shared pictures from the party on Instagram, with people with red hats that say "Make Sixty Great Again," likely in reference to the Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hats first popularized during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The photos from both Instagram accounts came under heavy scrutiny from social media users, with most comments made about her and her family's political party.

Sweeney responded to the backlash on Saturday afternoon, telling people "this is wild."

"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. Much love to everyone and Happy Birthday Mom!," she tweeted.

Sweeney was one of many celebrities who supported Black Lives Matter during the height of the social justice movement following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

"(W)e need to do better. the hate in this world needs to end. #BlackLivesMatter," she tweeted then, along with a link to "ways to help."

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sydney Sweeney of 'Euphoria' defends family photos from mother's party