Stars of 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet sue Paramount for $500m for ‘forcing them’ into a sex scene when they were just 15 and 16 years old and filming them nude without their knowledge

• The stars of  1968’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ are suing Paramount over the nude scene
• Olivia Hussey, 71, and Leonard Whiting, 72, filed a suit on Friday 
• The suit accuses the studio of sexual harassment, abuse, and fraud 
• They are seeking damages ‘believed to be in excess of $500 million’

The stars of 1968’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ are suing over the nude scene they filmed when they were just 15 and 16 years old. 

Olivia Hussey, 71, and Leonard Whiting, 72, filed a lawsuit Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court accusing the studio of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual abuse, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Hussey and Whiting say director Franco Zeffirelli originally told them there would not be any nudity in the film but on the last day of filming, he allegedly said the film ‘would fail’ unless they performed a scene nude while wearing body makeup. 

The pair are seeking damages ‘believed to be in excess of 500 million.’  

Olivia Hussey, 71, and Leonard Whiting, 72, filed a lawsuit Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court

The pair is accusing the studio of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual abuse, and intentional infliction of emotional distress

The lawsuit also alleges the pair were filmed nude without their knowledge.

‘What they were told and what went on were two different things,’ said Tony Marinozzi, a business manager for the actors, in a statement. 

‘They trusted Franco. At 16, as actors, they took his lead that he would not violate that trust they had,’ the manager said. 

‘Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do?’ Marinozzi added in a statement to the outlet. ‘There are no options. There was no #MeToo.’

The suit alleges Zefrelli showed the actors where the camera would be placed but that no nudity would be filmed or released. 

Hussey and Whiting thought ‘they had no choice but to act in the nude with body makeup as demanded on the last day of filming.’

The lawsuit also alleges the pair were filmed nude without their knowledge

The movie was released in 1968 to critical acclaim 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MH9ZK7vSBYY%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US

Hussey and Whiting say director Franco Zeffirelli originally told them there would not be any nudity in the film

The lawsuit also alleges the pair were filmed nude without their knowledge

In a statement to Variety, Solomon Gresen, the attorney for the pair said the actors ‘were very young naïve children in the ’60s who had no understanding of what was about to hit them.’

The pair said the scene caused them long-term financial, physical, and emotional pain.  

The film also cost Hussey and Whiting ‘a lifetime of loss of earnings and other employment benefits and job opportunities,’ according to the complaint. 

‘All of a sudden they were famous at a level they never expected, and in addition they were violated in a way they didn’t know how to deal with,’ Gresen said.

The $500 million in damages the pair is seeking matches the amount the film has made since its release in 1968. 

The pair said the scene caused them long-term financial, physical, and emotional pain 

The film also cost Hussey and Whiting ‘a lifetime of loss of earnings and other employment benefits and job opportunities,’ according to the complaint

The $500 million in damages the pair is seeking matches the amount the film has made since its release in 1968

In an interview from 2018, Hussey claimed Zerffirelli referred to her as ‘Boobs O’Mina’ and that he admitted she was the unrequited love of his life.  

At the time, Hussey also said she ‘loved playing Juliet’ but that the press was ‘exhausting.’

According to Variety, the actors’ lawsuit relies on a California law that temporarily suspended the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse claims. 

That law had a December 31, 2022 deadline. 

In a interview from 2018, Hussey claimed Zerffirelli referred to her as ‘Boobs O’Mina’

According to Variety, the actors’ lawsuit relies on a California law that temporarily suspended the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse claims

Hussey and Whiting thought ‘they had no choice but to act in the nude with body makeup as demanded on the last day of filming’

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