Kim Novak Speaks Out on Sydney Sweeney Portraying Her in an Upcoming Biopic

Kim Novak has never been one to hold back, and at 93, she is not about to start.

The Hollywood legend recently sat down with The Times of London, revisiting one of the most painful and closely guarded chapters of her life: her secret 1950s romance with Sammy Davis Jr.

A biopic about that relationship had been in the works, with a celebrated director and a recognizable cast already attached.

While modern audiences have been eager to see this story on the big screen, the woman at the center of the drama has a very different take. Fans of "Euphoria" star Sydney Sweeney might want to sit down before reading this one.

It turns out the "Vertigo" star has a specific, two-word description for the young actress that is sending shockwaves through the industry.

The Project Behind the Headlines

"Scandalous!" was shaping up to be one of the more anticipated Hollywood biopics in recent memory.

Directed by Colman Domingo in his directorial debut, the film was set to chronicle the real-life romance between Novak and the late Sammy Davis Jr., with David Jonsson — known for "Alien: Romulus" — cast as Davis, and Sydney Sweeney set to play Novak.

As recently as October 2025, Sweeney was full of enthusiasm. At the AFI Fest premiere of her film "Christy," she told People that she had not yet met Novak but was eagerly counting down to it.

She was planning to wrap "Euphoria" Season 3 first, then pivot entirely to "Scandalous!" and she made no secret of how much the role meant to her.

"I'm incredibly honored to be bringing Kim to life," she said, calling Novak "such an amazing actress." She added that she personally related to Novak's story, particularly the public scrutiny over her relationships and her fight to control her own image.

Sweeney even described her preparation in vivid terms: "Once I finish Euphoria, I switch into Scandalous! gear and I'm going to turn my brain into Kim."

Sweeney even had plans to meet Novak in person once she wrapped the third season of "Euphoria."

That meeting, it turns out, may never happen. The project has stalled, and Novak's recent interview makes it clear she is not losing any sleep over it.

A Romance That Shook Hollywood

The narrative intended for "Scandalous!" is extraordinary in its own right. To understand why this story matters — and why Novak guards it so fiercely — it helps to go back to the beginning.

Novak and Davis initially crossed paths in 1956. Their affection blossomed gradually and in private throughout the subsequent year. Davis frequently visited Novak while she filmed the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece "Vertigo," and the couple spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas together.

For a fleeting moment, it appeared that a genuine and enduring bond was forming between them. However, in 1958, a gossip columnist revealed the secret romance to the public.

The consequences were swift and brutal. Columbia Pictures, terrified that an interracial relationship would trigger a massive backlash against their leading lady, took drastic measures to sever the connection.

The head of the studio, Harry Cohn, went so far as to enlist organized crime figures to intimidate Davis. They warned the performer that he would face permanent blinding or have his legs broken unless he wed a Black woman within a 48-hour window.

Only nine days after this ultimatum, Davis married a dancer named Loray White. The two never actually resided together and initiated divorce proceedings a mere nine months later.

At the time of the controversy, Novak issued a public denial regarding the relationship. The true gravity of the situation — the violent threats, the coerced wedding, and the sudden termination of their romance — would take years to come to light.

The Woman Behind the Legend

Novak was born in Chicago in 1933 to a housewife and a history teacher.

She started as a model before Harry Cohn — the same man who would later orchestrate the end of her relationship with Davis — gave her her big break, casting her in the 1954 film noir "Pushover" and grooming her as the successor to Rita Hayworth.

What made her impossible to look away from was something she insists cannot be faked: vulnerability. She connects it directly to her bipolar disorder.

"It's a big asset to be a bipolar actor," she explained. "No one feels joy or pain as much as someone who's bipolar. The feelings are unstoppable."

After stepping away from Hollywood, she returned occasionally — appearing in the Agatha Christie drama "The Mirror Crack'd" in 1980, the soap "Falcon Crest" between 1986 and 1987, and the Mike Figgis film "Liebestraum" in 1991.

She married British actor Richard Johnson in 1965, and later equine veterinarian Robert Malloy in 1976. They remained together until he died in 2020.

Two Words for Sweeney: 'Totally Wrong'

Novak sat down with The Times and had plenty to say about the biopic being made about one of her most closely guarded chapters. The film had a star-studded cast lined up, a celebrated director at the helm, and all the makings of a prestige production.

When The Times of London brought up "Scandalous!," Novak did not soften her response. She said she "would never have approved" of the casting, and her concern goes beyond just picking the right actress.

Novak's worry is rooted in how the film might frame her relationship with Davis. For her, the connection was never primarily physical. The two had "so much in common," and she feared a big-screen version would reduce the relationship to something far more surface-level.

Her concern about Sweeney playing her tied directly into that fear: "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."

Novak also pointed to a more specific physical observation, noting that Sweeney "sticks out so much above the waist" — a pointed remark that left little room for interpretation.

Where Things Stand Now

With the project stalled and its lead actress on the receiving end of a very public two-word verdict from the woman she was meant to portray, the future of "Scandalous!" is uncertain at best. Whether it moves forward — with Sydney Sweeney or without her — remains to be seen.

What is not uncertain is Novak's position. She lived the story. She knows what it means. And she has made it abundantly clear that she expects whoever tells it to get it right.