The actors of the film "Romeo and Juliet", released in 1968, on December 30, 2022, filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County against the Paramount studio.
As teenagers, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting starred in the film adaptation of William Shakespeare's work, this tape became the pinnacle of their film career.
Now, almost 55 years later, the artists have decided to accuse the film company of sexual exploitation of minors and the distribution of nude footage because of the explicit scene in the tape.
According to Variety, the lawsuit alleges that director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially assured the young actors that there would be no nudity in the film and that in the scene where the heroes make love in the bedroom, the actors would wear flesh-colored underwear. .
However, according to the source, Zeffirelli later allegedly begged 15-year-old Hussey and 16-year-old Whiting to appear in this frame naked, but with makeup on their bodies.
The director convinced the actors that without this the film would "fail".
According to the complaint, Zeffirelli allegedly promised the artists that their naked bodies would not be compromised in any way.
The director stated that the camera will be installed in such a way that there is no nudity in the frame.
In the end, the scene still showed Whiting's buttocks and Hussie's chest.
The artists were allegedly filmed in the nude without their knowledge, which is a violation of California and federal laws against obscenity and child exploitation, the lawsuit says.
According to the manager of the two actors, Tony Marinozzi, everything was not as the director promised the young artists.
“What they were told and what happened are two completely different things,” said Marinozzi.
They trusted Franco.
They were 16, and as actors they were convinced that he would not betray their trust."
Marinozzi added that the director was their friend, and the artists simply had no choice to refuse.
The lawsuit also alleges that the actors suffered from emotional distress and mental anguish after filming the film.
In addition, because of the explicit scene, it was allegedly difficult for them to get roles and build a decent career.
According to the lawyer of the artists Solomon Gresen, the demonstration of naked minor bodies is illegal.
“In the 1960s, they were very young naive children and did not understand what would soon fall upon them.
All of a sudden they became celebrities on a scale that they never expected, and on top of that they were abused that they didn't know how to deal with," Gresen explained.
The actors are seeking more than $500 million in damages from the studio.
Frame from the movie "Romeo and Juliet"
Legion Media
© United Archives
That being said, Hussey's previous public statements contradict the lawsuit.
So, in an interview with Variety in 2018, she defended the frank scene in the film, saying that such a step was necessary.
The actress then stated that no one before her had acted in such a way at that age and that Zeffirelli presented this moment of the film "with taste".
In the same year, in an interview with Fox News, the artist assured that Leonard Whiting was not shy at all, and she herself, in the midst of filming, completely forgot that she had no clothes on.
The adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, became a hit upon release.
In 1969, the film won two Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Costumes.
In addition, the film was awarded three awards at the Golden Globe, including for the best film debuts.
Tape director Franco Zeffirelli also worked on the films The Taming of the Shrew (1967), Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), La Traviata (1982), Hamlet (1990), Jane Eyre (1996), Tea with Mussolini (1999) and Callas Forever (2002).
Despite the success of Romeo and Juliet, Whiting and Hussey's further acting career was modest - they were involved in successful projects, but most often played minor roles.
Olivia Hussey starred in films such as Jesus of Nazareth (1977), also directed by Zeffirelli, Death on the Nile (1978), Ivanhoe (1982) and Mother Teresa (2003).
Leonard Whiting also starred in the film "Childhood, vocation and first experiences of Giacomo Casanova, Venetian" (1969), and also worked on the animated series "Stone of Dreams" (1990).