Like Romeo and Juliet
Apparently, while Sammy was stuck in this fake marriage, he was still running around with Kim secretly. She later explained to Vanity Fair, “It was a very dangerous relationship then—a white woman and a black man, no matter his status – it simply didn’t mix publicly. I was suddenly in the eye of a hurricane… My agent told me my career would be over if I continued to see Sammy. Some of my friends wouldn’t even return my phone calls.”
Kim Novak in ‘Jeanne Eagels’ 1957. Photo by Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock
Unfortunately, the forbidden lovers didn’t end up together. They did, however, reunite during the 1979 Academy Awards. The pair were able to dance with each other and catch up. Something they weren’t able to do a couple of decades prior. Thankfully, times have changed.