Art

Home page

Art

Teen stars of 1968 Romeo and Juliet movie sue Paramount for over $500 mln for sexual exploitation

04 January 2023 12:25 (UTC +04:00)

Two actors who starred as teenagers in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet sued Paramount for over $500 million in damages, accusing the studio of sexual exploitation over a nude scene they say was filmed without their knowledge, APA reports citing Forbes.

The suit was filed Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court, before a Saturday deadline ending the temporary suspension of the statute of limitations for claims of child sexual abuse.

Olivia Hussey, who was 15 at the time the movie was filmed, and Leonard Whiting, who was 16, claimed Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, told the actors there would be no nudity in the movie.

Zeffirelli allegedly showed the actors where the camera would be angled and said no nudity would be captured—however, both Hussey’s breasts and Whiting’s buttocks appear in the film.

The actors said they have suffered diminished careers, as well as mental anguish and emotional distress, and are seeking damages “believed to be in excess of $500 million.”