Kim Novak pushed back against the upcoming biopic Scandalous, which stars Sydney Sweeney as the screen icon and explores her 1950s romance with entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
While speaking to The Guardian from the Venice Film Festival, where a documentary about her life is premiering, the 92-year-old actress expressed discomfort with the film’s title and what she fears may be an exaggerated portrayal 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 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 the era.
Directed by Colman Domingo, Scandalous will mark his directorial debut. Novak, however, feels the project risks misrepresenting a deeply personal chapter 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.
Moreover, Novak said, “It’s incredible to feel appreciated and to receive this gift before the end of my life. I think I’m being honored as much for being authentic as for my acting.”
