© Bettmann via Getty Images
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were only 15 and 16 when the film was made.
More than 50 years after the theatrical release of “Romeo and Juliet”, the two main actors sued the production company for millions in damages because of a nude scene. But the process they are aiming for in the state of California will not come: A court in Los Angeles dismissed the lawsuit on Thursday.
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who filed the lawsuit against Paramount Pictures in December, said director Franco Zeffirelli pressured them to shoot nude for a bed scene while filming the 1968 Shakespeare adaptation.
As minors, they were assured that their naked bodies would not appear later in the film, they said. Previously, they would have worn skin-colored underwear for love scenes. In the film, the breasts of then 16-year-old Hussey and the bare buttocks of then 17-year-old Whiting can be seen for several seconds.
The lawsuit, seeking millions of dollars in compensation, revolved around sexual harassment, fraud and inflicting mental distress. The responsible judge rejected, among other things, the accusation that the nude scenes would be tantamount to child pornography.
The actors’ attorney Solomon Gresen criticized the court’s decision. Minors cannot consent to sexually explicit acts, the attorney said in a statement. They now plan to take the case to federal court after the movie Romeo and Juliet was re-released earlier this year. The exploitation and sexualization of minors by the film industry must be stopped, Gresen wrote.
“Romeo and Juliet” was a huge hit at the box office and won Oscars for cinematography and costume design in 1969. Both main actors got no bigger roles after that.
Top-informed anytime and anywhere
Secure unlimited access to all digital content from KURIER: Plus content, ePapers, online magazines and more. Test the KURIER digital subscription now.
2023-05-26 08:20:31
#Lawsuit #underage #nude #scene #Romeo #Juliet #film #dismissed
