Jeans — or should we say genes — have been dominating the timeline this summer. From Sydney Sweeney fronting American Eagle’s “great jeans” push to fans spinning their own “great genes” theories, denim marketing has turned into a full-blown culture conversation.
And now, the Cyrus family has officially entered the chat.
On Wednesday, September 3, Jess Lucero — better known online as @jessthereporter, a pop-culture creator and TikTok Radio host on SiriusXM with more than 400,000 followers — posted a deadpan pitch: “All American Eagle had to do was work with the Cyrus women and get them to say, ‘Genes get passed down from generation to generation, affecting things like eye shape.’” She added that one look at a photo of Miley, Noah, Brandi, and Tish proves it. “The Cyrus’s have dominant genes. You see one photo with the four of them and you’re like, ‘damn you right, alright sold.’”
The post instantly racked up views and likes. More importantly, it drew a top-level comment from the verified @tishcyruspurcell account. Miley’s mom chimed in with: “That’s really good!!!!!! ❤️😂”
Fans in the comments backed her up.
“OMG those genes are strong honey!! My siblings and I don’t even look related,” one wrote.
“Even if it wasn’t looks, it could’ve been talent-based genes, like they literally missed an opportunity for a great ad,” another added.
“That’s actually a good idea and would’ve came across totally different,” a third agreed.
If the TikTok landed, it’s because the Cyrus women really do look like they came from the same copy-and-paste file. Just last month, The Cut put Tish, 58, Miley, 32, Brandi, 38, and Noah, 25, on its Fall Fashion cover, and fans immediately pointed out the resemblance.
Beyond the looks, the family’s been busy. Tish married Prison Break star Dominic Purcell in Malibu in August 2023. Miley has been with drummer Maxx Morando since 2021 (living together since 2024). Noah got engaged to designer Pinkus in 2023, and Brandi is reportedly dating Aussie Matt Southcombe.
As for Sweeney, 27, she’s been at the center of American Eagle’s biggest denim moment in years.
The campaign that set all this off launched on July 23, under the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The ads leaned on wordplay, with one spot referencing inherited traits like eye color before pivoting to denim. Not everyone found it clever. Critics called the “jeans/genes” gag awkward at best and tone-deaf at worst, pointing out the odd subtext around who gets to define “great genes.”
American Eagle, for its part, stood by the campaign. Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers said it was “not going anywhere,” and the numbers back them up: the brand added over 700,000 new customers and generated 40 billion impressions from its Sweeney and Travis Kelce pushes, according to Reuters. The limited-edition Sydney Jean sold out in a week, with all proceeds going to Crisis Text Line, a “a nonprofit offering free, 24/7, confidential mental health support to anyone in need,” according to the official AE press release.
Sweeney herself has largely stayed clear of the discourse. As she prepares to premiere her boxing biopic Christy at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, she made it clear to Vanity Fair that she won’t be weighing in on jeans. “I’m not there to talk about jeans,” she said, redirecting attention back to her acting.