Who is Sydney Sweeney’s brother Trent Sweeney?

Sydney Sweeney’s younger brother, Trent Sweeney, has taken a lighthearted approach to the backlash surrounding his sister’s recent American Eagle jeans ad. While the Euphoria star has stayed silent, Trent decided to share a playful joke on Instagram the same day he marked a milestone in his military career.

Trent, who serves in the United States Air Force, announced his promotion to staff sergeant with two photos. In the first, he posted a picture of his promotion certificate with the caption, “It’s them good jeans.” The pun referenced both the ad controversy and his military achievement. In the second photo, he appeared in uniform receiving the certificate and wrote, “IYAAYAS – I definitely didn’t spell AMMO right in that ammo call, but I’m excited for this next step in my career and thank everyone that’s been a part of it so far.” Sydney liked the post, showing public support for her brother.

Trent, two years younger than Sydney, grew up with her in a small town near the Washington–Idaho border. Their mother, Lisa, worked as a criminal defence attorney, while their father, Steven, was in hospitality. Trent once tried acting in small roles and commercials but later chose the military. In April 2020, Sydney shared an emotional post when he left for basic training, calling him her “little bro” and telling him to remember she was “tougher” if things got hard. By August 2020, he had officially joined the Air Force. He also streams on Twitch under the name PeanutButterPaul.

The siblings share a close bond. Sydney told Women’s Health, “I love my family, and I love where I came from. Anything my family needs, I’m always there for them.”

This isn’t the first time the family has faced public scrutiny. In 2022, photos from their mother’s 60th birthday party caused controversy after some guests wore hats similar to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Sydney said it was simply a celebration, not a political message.

The current uproar began when Sydney starred in an American Eagle jeans ad with the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” playing on the words “jeans” and “genes.” Critics accused the campaign of promoting racism and eugenics, while American Eagle defended it as harmless wordplay about denim. Donald Trump praised the ad, and Vice President JD Vance criticized Democrats for overreacting.

Sydney has not responded to the criticism. On August 3, during the premiere of her new movie Americana in Los Angeles, she was heckled by someone shouting, “Stop the ad, that is being racist!” She ignored the comment and left the event quickly.