Kim Novak has spoken out against the upcoming biopic, Scandalous, which stars Sydney Sweeney as the screen icon and explores her 1950s romance with entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. Speaking to The Guardian from the Venice Film Festival, where a documentary about her life is premiering, the 92-year-old actress expressed her discomfort with the film’s title and her fear that it may exaggerate the nature of her relationship.
Novak said, “I don’t think the relationship was scandalous. He’s somebody I really cared about. We had so much in common, including that need to be accepted for who we are and what we do, rather than how we look. I’m concerned they’re going to make it all sexual reasons.”
According to the Daily Mail, the romance, which ended after Columbia Pictures boss Harry Cohn threatened Davis with mob violence, has long been viewed through the lens of Hollywood’s racial and cultural taboos of that era. Scandalous is the directorial debut of Colman Domingo, but Novak believes the project risks misrepresenting a deeply personal part of her life.
At the festival, the actress celebrated the release of Kim Novak’s Vertigo, a documentary she described as a “full circle” tribute to her authenticity and resilience in an industry that once tried to reshape her image. “It’s incredible to feel appreciated and to receive this gift before the end of my life,” Novak said. “I think I’m being honored as much for being authentic as for my acting.”
