Trent Sweeney: Why the Internet Is Obsessed With Sydney Sweeney’s Brother

You’ve probably seen the photos. One minute Sydney Sweeney is dodging flashbulbs on a red carpet in London, and the next, there’s this tall, slightly mysterious guy in all-black standing right next to her. He looks familiar. The jawline is a giveaway.

Trent Sweeney isn't just a "plus-one" for movie premieres.

Honestly, while Sydney has been busy becoming the face of a generation through Euphoria and The White Lotus, her younger brother has been carving out a life that’s about as far from Hollywood glitz as you can get. He’s a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He’s a Twitch streamer. He’s the guy who once ate an incredibly spicy chip just to make his sister laugh (and cry, mostly cry).

If you’re trying to understand the "real" Sydney Sweeney, you actually have to look at Trent. Their bond is the backbone of a story that started long before the Emmy nominations and the Chanel ads.

The Spokane Roots and the 19-Hour Road Trips

They grew up near the Washington-Idaho border. It wasn't fancy. We’re talking about a rural lakeside home that’s been in their family for five generations.

Sydney and Trent weren't raised in the "industry." Their mom, Lisa, was a criminal defense lawyer. Their dad, Steven, worked in hospitality. Life was mostly about the outdoors—hiking, berry picking, and skiing at Schweitzer Mountain.

When Sydney decided at age 12 that she wanted to be an actress, she didn't just ask. She presented a five-year business plan.

The family actually listened. They packed up and moved to Los Angeles when Sydney was 13, but the transition was brutal. People see the fame now and forget the "living in a one-bedroom hotel for nine months" part. Sydney once told The Hollywood Reporter that she and her mom shared the bed while Trent and their dad crashed on the couch.

That kind of shared struggle does something to siblings. It either breaks you or makes you an unbreakable unit. For the Sweeneys, it was clearly the latter.

From Child Actor to Staff Sergeant

Trent Sweeney actually dipped his toes into the acting world first. Or at least, alongside her. He had minor roles in projects like The Opium Eater and Norman back in 2010.

He could have stayed in L.A. He could have chased the same dragon Sydney did.

Instead, he chose a path that involves a lot more camouflage and a lot less couture. In 2020, right as the world was shutting down, Trent headed off to basic training. Sydney posted a series of throwback photos on Instagram to say goodbye, playfully warning him: "When the going gets tough just remember your sister is tougher than you."

Fast forward to August 2025, and Trent is officially a Staff Sergeant in the 48th Munitions Squadron.

He recently went viral for a promotion post that was, frankly, a masterclass in sibling trolling. After Sydney faced a weirdly intense backlash over an American Eagle "Great Jeans" ad campaign—which some internet critics (and even political figures like Donald Trump) weighed in on—Trent posted his promotion certificate with the caption: "It’s them good jeans."

It was a perfect mic-drop moment. It showed the world that while the internet was busy debating his sister's "genes," the family was just in the group chat laughing about it.

The "PeanutButterPaul" Persona

When he isn’t working with the Air Force, Trent lives a second life online. If you’re on Twitch, you might know him as PeanutButterPaul.

He’s not trying to be a "celebrity brother" influencer. He just plays random games, talks to his community, and posts about his dogs, Rango and Kovu. He’s basically a normal 25-year-old who happens to have a sister with 20 million followers.

• Twitch Handle: PeanutButterPaul
• Main Content: Gaming, travel snippets, and dog updates
• The Vibe: Low-key, conversational, and surprisingly accessible

Back in 2019, he even texted Sydney asking for a shout-out for his channel. She did, obviously. Because despite the fame, they still operate like the kids who used to pick berries in Spokane.

Handling the "Controversy" of 2022 and 2025

Being the sibling of a major star means you get dragged into the spotlight whether you like it or not.

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In 2022, the family got heat for photos from their mom's 60th birthday party. Some guests wore red hats that looked like MAGA gear (they actually said "Make Sixty Great Again"). The internet exploded. Sydney eventually called the assumptions "wild" and asked people to stop making everything political.

Then came the 2025 American Eagle ad. The campaign played on the word "genes," and certain corners of the internet took it to a very dark, eugenics-focused place.

Trent’s reaction? Total levity.

By leaning into the joke with his "good jeans" promotion post, he effectively signaled that the family isn't rattled by the noise. It’s a specific kind of resilience. You see it in Sydney’s "I’m going to keep working no matter what" attitude, and you see it in Trent’s "I’m going to do my job in the Air Force and make fun of the drama" approach.

What We Can Learn From the Sweeney Dynamic

There’s a lot of talk about "nepo babies" and Hollywood families, but the Sweeneys feel different. They feel like a family that gambled everything on a dream, lost a lot (including their parents' marriage and financial stability during the lean years), and came out the other side still liking each other.

If you want to keep up with what's actually happening in their world, don't just look at the headlines.

1. Watch the Red Carpets: Trent has been appearing more often as Sydney’s date (like the Echo Valley premiere in London), which usually means they’re celebrating a major milestone together.
2. Check Twitch: If you want the uncurated version of the Sweeney vibe, PeanutButterPaul’s streams are where the real personality comes out.
3. Look for the "Easter Eggs": They frequently like and comment on each other’s posts. It’s rarely a PR-managed interaction; it’s usually just "IYAAYAS" (an Air Force ammo call) or inside jokes about their dogs.

At the end of the day, Trent Sweeney is a reminder that you can be surrounded by the biggest stars in the world and still choose to be a staff sergeant who streams games and loves his dogs. That groundedness is probably exactly why Sydney is able to handle the chaos of her own career.

She has a brother who doesn't care about the Emmy; he just cares if she’s tougher than him.