John Salangsang/Shutterstock
Feeling the heat. Sydney Sweeney didn’t expect political backlash when she posted about planning a surprise party for her mom Lisa Mudd Sweeney‘s 60th birthday.
“You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention,” the Euphoria star, 24, wrote via Twitter on Saturday, August 27. “Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone ♥️ and Happy Birthday Mom!”
Sydney shared photos of the celebration earlier on Saturday. “No better way to celebrate my momma than a surprise hoedown🤠,” she captioned the post on her Instagram grid, which included a snap of her alongside her mom, grandma and a man wearing a T-shirt with a Blue Lives Matter flag.
More photos were shared on her Instagram Story, where the White Lotus star revealed line dancing, embroidered denim jackets and a rodeo-themed cake, but she didn’t include party goers in red MAGA-inspired hats. The caps weren’t actually supporting Donald Trump but instead said “Make Sixty Great Again” in reference to Lisa’s birthday. Fans found the photos on her brother Trent Sweeney’s Instagram and speculated that Sydney intentionally avoided the photos with the parody hats.
“WHERE WAS SYDNEY SWEENEY’S FAMILY MEMBERS ON THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 6TH 2021,” one person asked via Twitter.
“We’re really gonna witness the downfall of sydney sweeney i know her team’s going crazy rn,” another person tweeted.
Some fans noted that Sydney’s family’s political beliefs don’t indicate anything about her own views. “Has the thought crossed anyone’s mind that it’s possible Sydney Sweeney strongly disagrees with the politics of her parents, just like an enormous proportion of Millennials/Gen Z?” another added. “She isn’t responsible for her family’s ideas anymore than you are. Leave her alone.”
The former Handmaid’s Tale star has been open about her family’s sacrifices for her career. Sydney shared a video of herself crying about her Emmy nomination while on the phone with her mother in July.
“I wouldn’t have been able to pursue my dreams without her supporting that decision,” she told the Los Angeles Times earlier this month while speaking about the clip. “I was 12, 13 years old and my mom and dad gave up everything that they knew for me to be able to pursue my dreams. We lost friends, we lost our house, we lost everything in pursuit of it.”
She continued, “I had no connections. I did not come from money. And when you’re 16 and you don’t really like yourself, and you’re trying to figure out what the hell is going on in your body and your makeup and your hormones, and people are telling you that you’re not good enough — that weight is so heavy. But I had parents who, no matter what, believed in me.”
