Sydney Sweeney has framed this role as an honor, telling People in October 2025 that Novak's story is still relevant and she relates to the pressure of Hollywood scrutiny and controlling one's image.
Novak is fundamentally disturbed by the casting choice, specifically calling out Sweeney's appearance — saying she 'looks sexy all the time' and 'sticks out so much above the waist,' suggesting the actress's signature look undermines her ability to portray Novak authentically.
Novak told The Times of London she would have 'never approved' the casting. She and Sammy Davis Jr. first met in 1956 on 'The Steve Allen Show,' and their relationship went public in 1958 when a Chicago columnist reported they could soon marry — though Davis married Loray White that same year instead.
This is exactly the kind of Hollywood war of words I live for. Novak isn't just unhappy — she's publicly torched Sweeney's casting with surgical precision, and you better believe the internet has opinions. The real question is whether a legend's veto carries any weight in today's remake-everything landscape.
Kim Novak just handed us the kind of celebrity drama that doesn't come along every day — a full-blown Hollywood legend absolutely torching a rising star's casting choice, and she's not mincing words. In an interview with The Times of London, the 93-year-old actress made it crystal clear that Sydney Sweeney is "totally wrong" to play her in the upcoming Miramax drama "Scandalous," which follows her rumored romance with Sammy Davis Jr. from the late 1950s. "I would never have approved," Novak said, and honestly? She didn't stop there.
The Legend of Venus has a very specific problem with Sweeney, and it's physical. Novak told the publication that the "Anyone But You" star "sticks out so much above the waist," essentially saying Sweeney's curvaceous figure is the opposite of her own. But it goes deeper than that — Novak is worried the film will oversexualize what she describes as a relationship built on genuine connection. "There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time," Novak explained. "She was totally wrong to play me." Ouch. That's not a critique — that's a career-ending review from someone who actually lived the story.
Here's where it gets juicy: Sweeney herself told People back in October 2025 that she's "incredibly honored" to lead the film, calling Novak's story "still very relevant today" and relating to the pressure of Hollywood scrutiny over relationships and image control. She sees herself in this. Novak apparently does not see herself in Sweeney — at all. Representatives for Sweeney notably did not respond to Variety's request for comment, which tells you everything about how comfortable they are with this particular news cycle.
For the record, Novak and Davis actually met in 1956 when they appeared as guests on "The Steve Allen Show," continuing to see each other regularly through 1957 with Davis visiting the set of Hitchcock's "Vertigo." Their relationship became public in 1958 after a Chicago columnist published an account claiming they could soon marry — Novak denied it, Davis married Loray White instead, and the whole thing imploded within a year. That's the real story "Scandalous" is apparently adapting, and you can see why Novak might have feelings about how Hollywood chooses to tell it.
The film was first revealed in October 2024 with Sweeney's "Euphoria" co-star Colman Domingo attached to direct, with Miramax fast-tracking production for after the show's third season wrapped. David Jonsson is set to play Davis opposite Sweeney. But with Novak now publicly blasting the casting this forcefully, you've got to wonder if Miramax is regretting not getting her blessing — or if they're rubbing their hands together at all this free publicity. Either way, I'm here for every bit of it.