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“Romeo & Juliet” Stars Sue Over 1968 Film’s Teen Nude Scene
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:49 pm
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:49 pm
quote:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The two stars of 1968's “Romeo and Juliet” sued Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million on Tuesday over a nude scene in the film shot when they were teens.
Olivia Hussey, then 15 and now 71, and Leonard Whiting, then 16 now 72, filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud.
Director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially told the two that they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in the bedroom scene that comes late in the movie and was shot on the final days of filming, the suit alleges.
But on the morning of the shoot, Zeffirelli told Whiting, who played Romeo, and Hussey, who played Juliet, that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity, according to the suit.
Yet they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of California and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children, the suit says.
Zeffirelli told them they must act in the nude “or the Picture would fail" and their careers would be hurt, the suit said. The actors “believed they had no choice but to act in the nude in body makeup as demanded.”
Whiting's bare buttocks and Hussey's bare breasts are briefly shown during the scene.
The film, and its theme song, were major hits at the time, and has been shown to generations of high school students studying the Shakespeare play since.
The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades, and that each had careers that did not reflect the success of the movie.
It says given that suffering and the revenue brought in by the film since its release, the actors are entitled to damages of more than $500 million.
An email seeking comment from representatives of Paramount was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit was filed under a California law temporarily suspending the statute of limitations for child sex abuse, which has led to a host of new lawsuits and the revival of many others that were previously dismissed.
Hussey defended the scene in a 2018 interview with Variety, which first reported the lawsuit, for the film's 50th anniversary.
“Nobody my age had done that before,” she said, adding that Zeffirelli shot it tastefully. “It was needed for the film.”
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Hussey and Whiting have.
LINK
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:51 pm to John88
From a 2017 interview with the actress.
quote:
“Nobody my age had done that before,” said Hussey, who turned 16 during filming. She added that Zeffirelli shot it tastefully. “It was needed for the film.” Both were already working actors when they were cast. “Everyone thinks they were so young they probably didn’t realize what they were doing,” said Hussey. “But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and when you work, you take your work very seriously.”
quote:
“Nobody my age had done that before,” said Hussey, who turned 16 during filming. She added that Zeffirelli shot it tastefully. “It was needed for the film.” Both were already working actors when they were cast. “Everyone thinks they were so young they probably didn’t realize what they were doing,” said Hussey. “But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and when you work, you take your work very seriously.”
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:51 pm to John88
Nude scene.. no pics :(
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:53 pm to John88
Head on a swivel Godfather.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:54 pm to John88
Just wait until the anti-groomer crowd discovers Appolonia’s real age
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:58 pm to John88
That traumatizing that it took 50+ years to file suit, right? I can't stand people that see an opening to make a quick buck off of the backs of others and take it. I'm not defending film here either because God knows there is much more depraved crap going on behind the scenes than we will ever know. The pursuit of easy money is indeed evil.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:58 pm to John88
What about back in the day when Brook Shields was swimming around in the nude?
Posted on 1/4/23 at 12:59 pm to John88
I guess their retirement accounts took a hit this past year and they needed a little something more to retire with.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 1:00 pm to John88
I remember watching this scene in my high school English class as a freshman. I don’t think Ms Jones had properly previewed the film.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 1:00 pm to John88
quote:
But on the morning of the shoot, Zeffirelli told Whiting, who played Romeo, and Hussey, who played Juliet, that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity, according to the suit.
Yet they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge, in violation of California and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children, the suit says.
This seems contradictory.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 1:03 pm to John88
quote:
The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades
Probably cried into their giant royalty checks
Posted on 1/4/23 at 1:12 pm to John88
quote:
The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered the desire for money and to be in the spotlight again after decades of crappy acting careers.
Fixed it for them.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 1:18 pm to John88
She was pretty hot… once she turned 18, officer
Posted on 1/4/23 at 1:47 pm to John88
I remember our thristy English teacher acting like she forgot about the scene my freshman year of highschool. We all knew what she was doing.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 3:04 pm to John88
How many highschools are guilty of distributing child porn to minors because of this movie?
Posted on 1/4/23 at 3:31 pm to John88
Maybe they should sue their parents.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 3:31 pm to John88
quote:
The court filing says the Hussey and Whiting have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades, and that each had careers that did not reflect the success of the movie.
Posted on 1/4/23 at 3:46 pm to John88
Somewhere Sally Mann, Time Magazine's "America's Best Photographer" for 2001 and recipient of the 1992 National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship as well as the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (UK), is likely shaking in her boots.
In addition, Thora Birch was 16 when she filmed her nude scene for American Beauty. Both her parents approved. Not surprising since they were both porn actors (her mom is Carol Connors)
In addition, Thora Birch was 16 when she filmed her nude scene for American Beauty. Both her parents approved. Not surprising since they were both porn actors (her mom is Carol Connors)
Posted on 1/4/23 at 4:36 pm to John88
quote:
The two stars of 1968's “Romeo and Juliet” sued Paramount
Posted on 1/4/23 at 5:41 pm to John88
I remember seeing them titays in the classroom.
Since I was also 16 at the time, it was not creepy!
Since I was also 16 at the time, it was not creepy!
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