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Kim Novak has slammed Sydney Sweeney’s casting as her in ‘Scandalous!’. In a March 27 interview with The Times, the 93-year-old actress said she would never have chosen Sweeney for the role of herself in the biopic.
“I would never have auditioned her and signed on for the picture,” Novak told the outlet. “Sydney sticks out so much above the waist.”
“Really,” she continued. “She was totally wrong to play me.”
‘Scandalous!’ will cover Novak’s romance with singer Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957. Colman Domingo will reportedly direct the film, which stars Sweeney as Novak and British actor David Jonsson as Davis.
Novak said she worries that producers will dramatize her romance with Davis as solely sex-driven. She told The Times that she and Davis “had so much in common besides sex.”
“There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time,” Novak added.
Novak’s Previous Objections
This isn’t the first time Novak spoke out against the film. Back in August 2023, Novak told The Guardian that she didn’t believe her relationship with Davis Jr. was scandalous.
“He’s somebody I really cared about,” she said. “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 about sexual reasons.”
Novak also addressed how Sweeney could portray her struggles with bipolar disorder, which Novak publicly shared that she suffered from in 2012. “You can’t learn to be vulnerable,” Novak told The Times. “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.”
Sweeney’s Prior Comments
Prior to Novak’s comments, Sweeney expressed excitement about playing the iconic actress. Speaking with People in October 2023, Sweeney said she was “incredibly honored” to help bring Novak’s story to the screen.
“I think her story is still very relevant today in that she dealt with Hollywood and scrutiny with her relationships and her own private life and the control of her image,” Sweeney said at the time. “And I think that for me, I relate to it in a lot of different ways.”
She continued, “Once I finish Euphoria, I switch into Scandalous! gear and I’m going to turn my brain into Kim. I’m so excited. I’m like, Oh my God. I’m going to meet Kim Novak.”
Requests for comment sent to representatives for Sweeney were not immediately returned by multiple outlets, including People and Fox News Digital.
Sweeney’s Response
On April 4, Sweeney seemingly responded to Novak’s comments by posting a carousel of photos on Instagram. The pictures show her on a trip to Portugal with friends and family.
She wrote in the post’s caption, “I’m not entirely sold on these looks yet, but here’s to trying.”
“I hope everyone has a beautiful day!” she added.
While Scandalous!’s producers haven’t commented on Novak’s remarks, the film will mark Domingo’s directorial debut. The movie does not have a release date yet. Sweeney recently wrapped filming for season three of HBO’s “Euphoria” and is currently gearing up.
