Kim Novak Is 'Concerned' Forthcoming Biopic 'Scandalous!' Starring Sydney Sweeney Will Be Too 'Sexual'

Kim Novak is worried about the upcoming biopic Scandalous!, which delves into her life and relationship with legendary singer Sammy Davis Jr.

"I don't think the relationship was scandalous," Novak, 92, told The Guardian in an interview published on Saturday, August 30. "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. But I'm concerned they're going to make it all sexual reasons."

The biopic, currently in preproduction, stars Sydney Sweeney and David Jonsson, chronicling the notorious love affair between Novak and Davis Jr. that took place in the 1950s. Their romance made headlines in 1957 when Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia Pictures, allegedly threatened to arrange for a mob hit on Davis Jr.

The couple eventually parted ways due to the immense pressure from outside influences. Davis Jr. passed away in 1990 due to laryngeal cancer at 64 years old.

Novak's manager, Sue Cameron, insisted the relationship was deeper than mere scandal. "[Novak] never wanted to get married back then — to anyone," Cameron told People in a November 2024 interview. "It was a romance based on love, respect, the things they shared in common."

Cameron elaborated on the connection between Novak and Davis Jr., saying, "Kim and Sammy met at a party and recognized they were both rebels and outsiders. They both had strong ties to their families and spent time with close relatives in both Hollywood and Chicago. In truth, she hoped their relationship could help break down people's racial bias."

Cameron revealed that Novak is "aware of at least four unauthorized and unapproved projects in development about the Kim Novak and Sammy Davis affair." Scandalous! will mark actor Colman Domingo's debut as a director. According to a report by W Magazine, Sweeney will co-produce the film.

"Hopefully we'll make a beautiful, sweet film that's really about the possibility of love, but under many eyes," Domingo, 55, told Deadline in November 2024.

Sweeney has also publicly paid tribute to Novak. At the Met Gala, she wore a dress that was a nod to one worn by Novak in the 1967 film The Legend of Lylah Clare.

Despite her concerns, Novak remains one of the last iconic figures of classic Hollywood. She captured audiences in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo, solidifying her status as a formidable star. Now living a more private life, she finds herself the subject of multiple films, including Vertigo, a documentary set to premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival.

The festival will also honor Novak with a lifetime achievement award — a recognition she views as a "gift."

"It's incredible to feel appreciated and to receive this gift before the end of my life," she told The Guardian in the same interview. "I think I'm being honored as much for being authentic as for my acting. It has sort of come full circle."