Kim Novak isn’t holding back her opinion on Sydney Sweeney stepping into her shoes.
The 93-year-old Hollywood legend recently spoke with The Times of London and made it clear she’s not on board with Sweeney, 28, being cast to play her in the upcoming biopic Scandalous, which centers on her 1950s romance with Sammy Davis Jr.
According to Novak, Sweeney is “totally wrong” for the role and said she “would never have approved” of the casting. She also seemed to take a jab at Sweeney’s image, pointing out that the actress, unlike herself, “sticks out so much above the waist.” Novak also worries the movie, which reportedly hit a pause before production really got going, will lean too heavily into the sexual side of her relationship with Davis instead of showing how much they actually had in common.
“There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time. She was totally wrong to play me,” she said.
The project first popped up in October 2024, with Colman Domingo set to make his feature directorial debut. Sweeney was attached to star as Novak, while David Jonsson was tapped to play Davis Jr. The film is meant to tell the story of Novak and Davis Jr.’s relationship and the intense backlash they faced at the time, especially due to racial prejudice.
Speaking to The Times of London, Novak reflected on just how taboo interracial relationships were in Hollywood back then and how much hate they received. She explained that their connection came from a shared drive to prove themselves as actors, but outside pressure ultimately forced them apart.
© Axelle/Bauer-Griffin“Because of the color of his skin people did terrible things,” Novak said, recalling one disturbing incident where someone gave Davis beer mixed with urine. Things escalated even further in 1957 when studio executives found out about their relationship. Fearing the impact of an interracial romance, they pushed the couple to split.
Columbia Pictures head Henry Cohn, who had Novak under contract, reportedly believed the relationship could hurt business. According to multiple reports, Cohn even threatened Davis with mob violence if the relationship continued.
This isn’t the first time Novak has criticized the film either. In an earlier interview with The Guardian in August 2025, she pushed back on the title itself.
“I don’t think the relationship was scandalous,” she said.
Even with Novak’s disapproval, Sweeney has already started preparing for the role. Back in October 2025, she said she was “incredibly honored” to portray the screen icon.
“I think her story is still very relevant today in that she dealt with Hollywood and scrutiny with her relationships and her own private life and the control of her image,” Sweeney told People. “And I think that for me, I relate to it in a lot of different ways.”
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