The two actors who played Romeo and Juliet in a film adaptation from 1968 are suing for more than $500 million because of a naked scene that was included in the film and was filmed while they were teenagers. The scene was included in the film despite the fact that the actors were only teenagers when it was filmed.
Both the British actress Olivia Hussey, who was only 15 years old at the time, and Leonard Whiting, who was only 16 years old at the time, filed a case against Paramount Pictures. Olivia Hussey is now 71 years old, while Leonard Whiting is now 72 years old. The complaint makes allegations of fraud as well as sexual assault and sexual harassment.
According to the allegations that are made in the lawsuit, the director Franco Zeffirelli, who passed away in 2019, issued instructions to the two actors that during the final days of shooting a bedroom scene, they would be required to wear underwear that resembled flesh. This instruction was allegedly given to them during the filming of the scene.
The accusation says, however, that Zeffirelli reassured the two people that they would only need to put on body makeup for the shot and that the camera would be set up so that it would not show their nakedness. This occurred on the morning of the session. Because Zeffirelli went to the event, he was accused of sexual harassment.
However, according to the charges stated in their legal action, they were covertly recorded while nude, which constitutes a violation of state and federal laws that prohibit indecency as well as the exploitation of children. This is the basis for their legal action.
According to the allegation, Zeffirelli allegedly informed them that they needed to participate in the nude “or the picture would fail,” which would have a bad influence on their careers if they did not.
The actors “felt they had no choice but to play in the nude while applying body makeup as the part demanded it” since it was essential for the role.
During the scene, there is a fleeting view of both Whiting’s bare buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts. Hussey’s buttocks are seen first.
Both the film and the song that was used for the film’s theme were huge blockbusters when they were released, and the movie has since been shown for several generations of students studying the Shakespeare play. The song that was used for the film’s theme was also a huge blockbuster when it was released.
According to the paper that was presented to the court, Hussey and Whiting have suffered from mental and emotional anguish for a number of decades, and each has had a career that has not been as successful as the movie.
It argues that the actors have a right to damages of more than $500 million due to the hardships they have had as a consequence of the release of the film as well as the cash it has produced for them.
The Hollywood movie studio Paramount Pictures has not yet said anything about the case since it was made public. It was filed under a California law that temporarily suspends the statute of limitations for child sex abuse, which has led to a number of new cases and the resurrection of many others that were previously dismissed as frivolous because of their lack of merit.
