As Colman Domingo gears up for his directorial debut Scandalous!, one key figure at the center of the story isn’t exactly applauding from the sidelines.
Hollywood icon Kim Novak has made it clear she has serious reservations about the film, which explores her 1950s romance with Sammy Davis Jr.—and especially about Sydney Sweeney stepping into her shoes.
The two-time Golden Globe winner didn’t mince words, telling The Times she “would never have approved” of the project’s direction, and arguing that Sweeney simply doesn’t fit the part. In particular, Novak took issue with the actress’s image, adding that Sweeney “sticks out so much above the waist.”
Her concerns don’t stop at casting. Novak also worries the film will lean too heavily into the physical side of her relationship with Davis—who will be played by David Jonsson—rather than capturing its emotional depth.
“There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time,” Novak said. “She was totally wrong to play me.”
Novak even offered some pointed advice for Sweeney, speaking candidly about her own experiences as an actress: “You can’t learn to be vulnerable. It’s a big asset to be a bipolar actor. No one feels joy or pain as much as someone who’s bipolar. The feelings are unstoppable.”
Meanwhile, Domingo has struck a very different tone when discussing the project. Previously describing Scandalous! as a “fractured love story,” he said the goal is to create something intimate and human amid the public scrutiny surrounding the couple.
“And then hopefully we’ll make a beautiful, sweet film that’s really about the possibility of love, but under many eyes, trying to have privacy, trying to have love, trying to have a life,” Domingo explained, adding that both he and Sweeney connect to that idea of fighting to “advocate for your humanity.”
The real-life romance at the heart of Scandalous! was as headline-grabbing as anything Hollywood could script. Novak—best known for Vertigo—and Davis began seeing each other after meeting in the mid-1950s, at the height of their fame. But as rumors swirled, the relationship quickly became a lightning rod, colliding with the racism of the era and pressure from powerful industry figures, including Harry Cohn.
Their relationship was thrust into the spotlight in 1958 when a gossip columnist detailed their romance and alleged plans to marry. Just days later, Davis wed Loray White, bringing the whirlwind chapter to an abrupt and complicated close.
Now, decades later, Scandalous! aims to revisit that story—but if Novak’s reaction is any indication, the film may be sparking controversy long before it hits the screen.