Fox News contributor Kat Timpf has returned to the late-night political comedy show, Gutfeld!, following a weeks-long break as she underwent surgery.
Timpf, 36, first revealed during a July episode of Gutfeld! that she would be taking time away from the show for the latest surgery following her shocking February breast cancer diagnosis received just hours before giving birth to her first child.
The comedian made her return to the network Monday, appearing first on Martha MacCallum’s show before assuming her chair on Gutfeld!, where she and other contributors discussed their opinions on Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign.
For the campaign, which includes the limited launch of the wide-legged “The Sydney Jean,” the actor is featured in multiple photos and videos, including one where she cleans off a poster of herself wearing a denim jacket and jeans and bearing a tagline that appeared to be a pun about denim. While the phrase initially said, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes,” the last word was then crossed out and replaced with “Jeans.” The same tagline appears in nearly every ad for the campaign.
Many people were quick to negatively respond to the tagline because the phrases “good genes” and “great genes” have historically been used in the language of eugenicists, who believe the human race can be improved genetically by selective breeding.
Following the release of the ad, American Eagle released a statement on Instagram to address the backlash. “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the retailer wrote. “Her jeans. Her story.”
Giving her opinion on the backlash, Timpf said she didn’t understand why the ad was continuing to be covered by the media, thinking people were overreacting.
“I have such a hard time believing that this controversy is real,” she said. “And if you really are upset by this, then I genuinely feel sadness for you.”
The contributor continued, explaining how the media was covering the controversy using headlines such as “Everything We Know,” which is “usually when we’re talking about some kind of horrific contagion.”
Timpf also touched on the recent discovery that Sweeney registered as a Republican in Florida several months before President Donald Trump won his second term.
“Who cares?” she said. “Lots of people are Republicans, and it shouldn’t be that groundbreaking to find out that somebody, who’s wealthy, especially, is a Republican.”
Timpf’s Gutfeld! return comes after she shared an update regarding her breast cancer treatment last month.
“When I came back, I said I still had some surgeries to go,” she said, referencing her return from maternity leave. “And my first one’s next week. So I’m going to be out for a couple of weeks. Even with the best-case scenario of breast cancer, [it] can involve quite a road to feeling whole again. So this is the first step in that.”
She explained why she was discussing her upcoming surgery on the show, adding: “Just so the internet can’t come up with theories about where I am. That’s where I am.
“And just thank you everyone for all your support, vibes, and prayers, or however you show that. I really appreciate it,” Timpf concluded. “And I can’t wait to come back soon.”
