Actors from 'Romeo and Juliet' File Lawsuit Against Paramount for Unauthorized Nudity in 1968 Movie

The two stars of the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Franco Zeffirelli, have sued Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million, alleging they were sexually exploited during a nude scene in the film when they were teenagers.

Olivia Hussey, who played Juliet in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," was 15 years old when the movie was filmed. Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo, was 16. Both are now in their 70s and have filed a complaint alleging that Paramount engaged in fraud, sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

According to a lawsuit filed by the actors, Mr. Zeffirelli told them they would appear in flesh-colored clothing in a bedroom scene. But on the day of the shoot, Mr. Zeffirelli told the actors they would wear body makeup with the camera positioned in a way that wouldn’t show their nude bodies.

The underage actors were misled and filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of state and federal laws, according to the lawsuit.

The defendants in this case are accused of secretly filming nude or partially nude minor children without their knowledge. This is a disgusting and heinous act that must be stopped. The repeated use of sexual images of minors is one of the worst things that our society tolerates, and it needs to be eradicated.

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The individual in question did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the lawsuit, the director allegedly told Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting that the film would fail without the scene and would damage their careers. Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting said they thought they had no choice but to shoot the scene nude with body makeup.

The scene in question features Ms. Hussey's bare breasts and Mr. Whiting's bare buttocks.

Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting were previously barred from filing a lawsuit for the incident because the statute of limitations had expired. But in 2019, California passed a law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for childhood sex abuse for a three-year period. That three-year window expired at the end of 2022. Many lawsuits were filed just ahead of the deadline against the Roman Catholic Church.

The lawsuit alleges that the actors have suffered mental anguish and emotional stress since the film was released more than 50 years ago. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards.