Why Sydney Sweeney, Scooter Braun Prove End of Cancel Culture As We Know It

Throughout the 2010s and early 2020s, the path back from public backlash followed a familiar script. A celebrity would face criticism online, issue an apology, sit for a carefully managed interview, step out of the spotlight and eventually attempt a rebrand.

Grayce McCormick, founder of Lightfinder PR, told Newsweek that reputation recovery used to follow “a predictable sequence” that would not only demonstrate remorse, but also a significant change. Redemption tours became standard practice among celebrities and politicians as they attempted to win back supporters.

But new examples suggest that formula may be losing its power. Some public figures are facing criticism, refusing to engage in traditional rehabilitation campaigns and continuing to thrive professionally anyway.

But has the rule book changed in 2026? “The old belief was that staying silent let others direct the narrative, so public figures were urged to speak first,” McCormick said.

Now, rather than apologizing and attempting to win back critics, some public figures appear more willing to ignore backlash altogether and focus on maintaining support from core audiences.

New couple, actress Sydney Sweeney and former talent manager Scooter Braun, have emerged as prominent examples of that shift.

Both have attracted significant criticism in recent years, yet neither has embarked on a traditional redemption campaign. Their commercial influence, meanwhile, remains intact.

Newsweek has contacted representatives for Sweeney and Braun via email for comment.

Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun as Test Cases

Sweeney and Braun are believed to have met at the June 2025 wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez before later confirming their relationship.

Sweeney recently concluded her run as Cassie in HBO’s Euphoria and remains the face of American Eagle, despite controversy surrounding last year’s “great jeans” campaign. While she has become a frequent subject of online debate, her commercial appeal remains strong.

Braun rose to prominence managing artists including Justin Bieber, Usher and Ariana Grande before acquiring Big Machine Records in 2019. This deal gave him ownership of Taylor Swift’s master recordings and triggered years of criticism.

In a recent interview on the Second Thought With Suzy Weiss podcast, Braun said he “didn’t know Taylor Swift,” despite the fallout that turned him into what he described as “a villain.”

Braun's relationship with Sweeney has certainly increased his profile over the last year, after he had withdrawn from public life (as with the usual playbook). Both continue to attract criticism online, all the while staying silent.

Their continued success raises a broader question: has cancel culture lost some of its influence, or has the way people respond to it simply changed?

Why Public Backlash Doesn’t Land the Same Way in 2026

“Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun may signal an evolution, but not the end, of cancel culture,” McCormick said.

“What is notable is that neither appears to be spending energy trying to convince critics to like them. Instead, they’re focused on their work and letting the public decide whether the controversy still matters.”

McCormick believes part of the shift may stem from what she describes as “outrage fatigue.”

Audiences are increasingly evaluating controversies based on context, intent and severity rather than reacting automatically to online backlash.

Faster news cycles may also play a role. Public attention moves rapidly, meaning controversies that once dominated headlines for months can disappear within days.

Sarah Schmidt, president of PR firm Interdependence, told Newsweek the “rules have changed” for celebrity rehabilitation.

Accountability still matters, experts say, but there is growing disagreement over what warrants lasting consequences.

A 2025 YouGov poll found 51 percent of respondents believed cancel culture had gone too far, while only 13 percent said it was proportionate.

The New Rules of Reputation Management

Historically, public figures often relied on apologies, confessional interviews and visible acts of contrition to repair their reputations.

Increasingly, however, some are choosing a different approach: keep working, avoid overexplaining and allow audiences to decide whether the controversy still matters.

The latest buzz word is “authenticity,” and if audiences do not think an apology is authentic, there really is no point.

“Audiences can spot a crafted apology from a mile away, and those who recover are the ones willing to be vulnerable and human. The people who double down end up losing more ground than the mistake cost in the first place,” Schmidt said.

What appears to matter more now is consistency rather than redemption alone.

Why Brands Are Less Afraid of Controversy

It seems that brands are latching onto this too, as controversy is no longer an automatic threat. Online engagement, discourse and even criticism can in fact be useful because it generates visibility and can drive sales up.

Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign became one such example. Although the advertisement generated backlash online, the attention surrounding it coincided with a 25 percent surge in the company’s stock price.

Schmidt argues the episode illustrates how “controversy is currency” in today’s attention economy.

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McCormick cautioned that not all controversy is beneficial. “That doesn’t mean all publicity is good. Serious ethical failures can still cause lasting damage, but brands are more sophisticated at distinguishing between temporary backlash and genuine consumer rejection,” she said.

Public image still matters. Universal approval may not.

Celebrities and brands no longer need unanimous support if they retain credibility with the audiences most important to their careers and commercial success.

In that environment, the traditional apology tour may be shifting from a requirement to a strategic choice.

Is Cancel Culture Ending-or Simply Evolving?

The evidence does not suggest cancel culture has disappeared. Public figures still face scrutiny, reputational damage and professional consequences.

But experts increasingly see a shift in how those controversies are managed-and how much influence online backlash ultimately carries.

The question may no longer be whether a celebrity can survive cancellation. It may be whether they need a redemption tour at all.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 8:20 AM.