Bad timing? Gavin Casalegno’s Dunkin’ ad sparks backlash over actor’s alleged conservative views
Forget about The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, according to Dunkin’ Donut’s latest advert with actor Gavin Casalegno, it’s all about a golden summer with a side of controversy.
The ad’s reference to Casalegno’s “genetics” has sparked backlash over its underlying tones, echoing the online stir caused by American Eagle’s ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ campaign.
Promoting Dunkin’s Golden Hour Refresher, the ad shows Casalegno lounging poolside with the golden-hued drink in hand. “Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer. It just kind of happened,” he says. “This tan? Genetics. I just got my colour analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally.”
@screenshothq A new commercial has people talking about eugenics again—more than the actual product it’s selling. How did we get here? @Dunkin' just introduced a pair of new Refreshers to its menu. To launch one of them (the Golden Hour Refresher) the brand partnered with @the summer i turned pretty star @GavinCasalegno for a new video posted on social media. “Look, I didn’t ask to be the king of summer, it just kinda happened,” Casalegno says at the start of the 35-second spot. “This tan? Genetics.” Casalegno then talks about his colour analysis “literally” coming back “golden summer” as he lounges by a pool with a Refresher in hand. “Can’t help it — every time I drink a Golden Hour Refresher, it’s like the sun just finds me,” he says. “So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged.” Instead of being flooded with fans excited to try the new drinks, the ad’s comments section is full of people wondering why a certain word was used in the script. “What in the Sydney Sweeney did I just watch,” asked a TikTok user. #gavincasalegno #tsitp #sydneysweeney #americaneagle #dunkindonuts
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Why Gavin Casalegno’s Dunkin’ ad is sparking backlash
The doughnut brand dropped its summer Refresher drink advert almost a week ago now, but the controversy around it is still rife.
On the surface, Dunkin’s campaign feels like a light-hearted slice of summer. But online, it’s raising questions about its intended message. Some say the timing was tone-deaf (especially after the recent backlash to American Eagle’s recent ad), while others see it as yet another campaign celebrating the “good” genes of a white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed celebrity.
How Dunkin’s Gavin Casalegno ad compares to American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign
Unsurprisingly, users online were quick to link Dunkin’s new advert to American Eagle’s recent campaign with Sydney Sweeney, which stirred up conversation over race, eugenics, and beauty standards due to its curious tagline: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
One user commented on Dunkin’s Instagram post, stating that it’s a “weird time to drop an ad talking about genetics,” presumably referencing the backlash the American Eagle campaign received. On X, another person asked: “What does genetics have to do with a Refresher… at least the jeans made SENSE.” With another questioning: “What’s going on with genetics being a topic lately lol.”
what does genetics have to do with a refresher… at least the jeans made SENSE
— eryn💋 (@erynsbloodline) July 30, 2025
??? what’s going on with genetics being a topic lately lol
— The Notorious J.O.V. (@whotfisjovana) July 30, 2025
Another said: “Wouldn’t it make more sense to talk about him lying in the sun getting a GOLDEN tan? Why are we mixing genes and coffee?!?”
Wouldn’t it make more sense to talk about him laying in the sun getting a GOLDEN tan? Why are we mixing genes and coffee?!?
— Sweetenermatcha 🍉 (@sweetenermatcha) July 30, 2025
Adding to the controversies surrounding Casalegno, one user on X also said: “He’s also been cancelled for being ‘maga’ LOL.”
he’s also been canceled for being “maga” LOL
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) July 30, 2025
Is Gavin Casalegno a Trump supporter?
Although Gavin Casalegno has not confirmed his political views, fans seem to believe that he is a Trump supporter. Comments on a TSITP Reddit thread (r/TheSummerITurnedPrett) ask “is this true?” in regards to TikTok comments about Casalegno, where fans say they “wish he wasn’t a Trump supporter.”
Another Reddit user claims the TSITP actor is “an evangelical Christian right-wing Trump supporter.”
Gavin Casalegno was cancelled for liking anti-feminist posts
This isn’t the first time Gavin Casalegno has experienced backlash. Back in 2023, it was discovered that Casalegno had liked an anti-vaccination and anti-feminist tweet, which read: “When you find out she is unvaxxed, not a feminist, loves the lord, and aspires to be a wife, mother and a homemaker.” This created a visceral reaction among the mainly liberal TSITP fans. Although Casalegno later commented that the tweet didn’t reflect his views, adding that he doesn’t always have Instagram on his phone, the incident still left many fans unconvinced.
@screenshothq Social media users are calling Gavin Casalegno problematic for his recent activity on social media, is he the latest celeb to be cancelled? #gavincasalegno #thesummeriturnedpretty #chrisbriney #gavincasalegnocontroversy #thesummeriturnedprettyseason3
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A little while after this, it was revealed that the actor had also liked a video on TikTok posted by Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist who has been under fire for sexism, transphobia, and homophobia in the past.
It seems that Casalegno is never too far from controversy, with the Dunkin’ advert and his ‘golden summer genetics’ adding one more notch to an already too small belt. Just how many more problematic situations will he find himself in?
Gavin Casalegno has not made a formal statement in response to the ad at the time of writing.
