Amid Kim Novak's comments on Sydney Sweeney's body, her candid statements on unhealthy female rivalry in Hollywood resurfaced.
Sydney Sweeney is once again making headlines for being tied to a controversy. This time, it's her row with Hollywood legend, Kim Novak. Kim recently expressed strong disapproval of Sydney Sweeney's casting as her in the upcoming biopic, Scandalous! The film, which marks the directorial debut of Colman Domingo, focuses on Novak's high-profile 1950s romance with jazz musician, Sammy Davis Jr. Kim felt that Sydney's physical appearance wasn't appropriate enough to portray the role. Amid her comment on The Housemaid star's body, the latter's statement regarding women pulling each other down in Hollywood resurfaced.
Kim Novak publicly criticised the casting of Sydney Sweeney in Scandalous! during a March 2026 interview with The Times of London. Kim stated that the Euphoria star's is "totally wrong" to play her. The 93-year-old Vertigo icon shared concern over Sydney's sex appeal. She bluntly remarked that Sydney "sticks out so much above the waist," implying the actress's physical attributes are a mismatch for depicting Kim Novak's 1950s appearance. Her exact words were:
"I would've never approved [Sydney Sweeney's casting]. There's no way it wouldn't be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time. She was totally wrong to play me. She sticks out so much above the waist."
Kim Novak was concerned that Sydney Sweeney's physical dissimilarity with Kim Novak would over-sensationalise the plot of the movie, i.e., Kim's real-life past relationship with Sammy Davis Jr. Kim noted that because Sweeney "looks sexy all the time," the film will inevitably lean into a sexual dynamic rather than the deep emotional connection, which Kim actually shared with Sammy. She emphasised that her romance with Sammy Davis Jr was based on them having "so much in common" as they faced rampant racism. Amid Kim's bold remarks regarding Sydney's body type, the latter's past comment regarding Hollywood's fake feminism and anti-woman stance resurfaced.
Sydney Sweeney addressed the lack of genuine female support in Hollywood during a November 2024 interview with Vanity Fair. The 28-year-old Euphoria star described the industry's "women empowering other women" narrative as a "fake". Sweeney stated that while the industry publicly preaches female empowerment, she often sees successful women in the industry "bash and discredit" younger talent working toward their dreams. Sydney's exact words were:
"It's very disheartening to see women tear other women down, especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard...and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they've done. This entire industry, all people say, is 'Women empowering other women.' None of it's happening. All of it is fake and a front for all the other shit that they say behind everyone's back."
Sydney attributed such behaviour to a "generational mindset" that leads women to believe only one woman can be at the top at a time, creating a competitive environment where they feel they must "fight each other". The actress's comments followed a widely publicised incident in April 2024 when veteran Hollywood producer, Carol Baum publicly criticised her during a film screening, stating she was "not pretty" and "can't act." She stated:
"I've read that our entire lives, we were raised, and it's a generational problem to believe only one woman can be at the top. There's one woman who can get the man. There's one woman who can be, I don't know, anything. So then all the others feel like they have to fight each other or take that one woman down instead of being like, 'Let's all lift each other up.' I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm just trying my best over here. Why am I getting attacked?"
What are your thoughts on Sydney Sweeney's resurfaced statements on female rivalry in Hollywood amid Kim Novak's comments on her body? Let us know.
Also Read: Kim Novak's Affair With Sammy Davis Jr Explored, Sydney Sweeney Almost Portrayed It On Screen