Sydney Sweeney reportedly thinks that critics have exaggerated the backlash surrounding her American Eagle jeans ad well beyond measure. The actor found herself in the middle of a fresh controversy after featuring in the clothing brand’s latest campaign,

American Eagle Outfitters has a message to its critics, who took issue over its ad with 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney that sparked a debate over race and Western beauty standards.

The crux of the campaign is Sweeney’s assertion that her jeans are good, but the whole thing rests on a pun: She’s also talking about her genes. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring,” she says in one video, “often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”