Stars of 1968’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Sue Paramount Over Nude Scenes Filmed When They Were Minors

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, stars of the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” filed a lawsuit against Paramount Studios, who served as the film’s producer, for allowing the movie to be released with scenes showing them nude when they were minors.

The 1968 period drama was based on the play of the same name, written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. It tells the story of the titular Romeo and Juliet falling in love despite their families being locked in a massive blood feud in medieval Italy. The film was considered a critical and box office hit, earning  $35 million against an $850 thousand dollar budget.  The lawsuit was filed in Santa Monica Superior Court by stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting in late December. The suit accuses Paramount of criminal sexual exploitation and distributing nude images of adolescent children.

According to CNN ”

“The complaint alleges that the film’s director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019…. assured the actors that there would be no nudity, and that they would be able to “wear flesh colored undergarments during the bedroom/love scene.” However, according to the complaint, Zeffirelli later told Hussey and Whiting – who were 15 and 16 at the time, respectively – that ‘they must act in the nude or the Picture would fail.”

The lawsuit seeks damages Hussey and Whiting say are believed to be above $500 million. The stars claim the scene has caused them mental anguish and emotional distress in the 55 years since the film’s release.

The two former stars, now both in their 70s, also claim that they have had their careers damaged because they lost out on job opportunities due to the scenes.

This would not be the first time the Romeo and Juliet film has been hit with these accusations. Actor and screenwriter Bruce Robinson told the Hollywood reporter that” he was the target of unwanted sexual advances by Zeffirelli.” Robinson wrote and directed the film Withnail And I, which features a salacious old man character that Robinson says was based on his experience with Zeffirelli.

Stay with mxdwn for more on this developing story.