Some internet users have also accused AE of ripping off a 1980s Calvin Klein ad campaign starring supermodel Brooke Shields, SJ Denim reported. The ad showed a 14-year-old Shields rolling on the floor and trying to put on her jeans while discussing how “the secret of life lies behind the genetic code.”

It all started with a simple question and a daring response. An American Eagle exec just spilled the details on how Sydney Sweeney personally set the audacious tone for their now-famous ‘Great Jeans’ campaign.

American Eagle’s new denim campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked backlash over a “genes" pun. Here’s what’s behind the controversy—and why it’s drawing so much attention.