'Romeo And Juliet' Actors File Complaint For Child Abuse Over Nude Scene In 1968 Film
'Romeo and Juliet' which had released in 1968, starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting is back in the news and for all the wrong reasons.
'Romeo and Juliet' which had released in 1968, starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting is back in the news and for all the wrong reasons. The film, when it released back in the day, stirred controversy after a bedroom scene included images of Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts. Now, the lead stars -- Hussey and Whiting, who are in their 70s now, have filed a lawsuit in Santa Monica Superior Court.
Both the actors have accused Paramount of sexually exploiting them and distributing nude images of adolescent children, reported Variety.
In the suit, it has been alleged, that the director Zeffirelli, who passed away in 2019, had assured both actors that there would be no nudity in the movie.
They have also alleged that the director assured them that the actors would be wearing flesh-coloured undergarments in the bedroom scene. However, in the final days of filming, the director allegedly asked them to be nude with body makeup or "the picture would fail".
When the entire scene was filmed, Hussey was 15 while Whiting was 16. Their lawsuit alleges that the director was being dishonest and the actors were filmed nude without their knowledge.
“What they were told and what went on were two different things. They trusted Franco. At 16, as actors, they took his lead that he would not violate that trust they had. Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do? There are no options. There was no #MeToo," said Tony Marinozzi, who is a business manager for both actors, as per Variety.
As per the complaint, both actors have suffered mental anguish and emotional distress in the 55 years ever since the film released.
Both the actors are seeking damages believed to be in excess of USD 500 million, reported Variety.
