‘Romeo and Juliet’ stars sue Paramount Pictures for sexual assault

The protagonists of the film Romeo and Julietwhich was released in 1968, have sued Paramount Pictures for sexual abuse because they were teenagers when they participated in a nude scene in the film.

English actors Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey are now in their 70s and, according to the BBC, are seeking compensation of more than $500 million, based on the suffering they say they have experienced and the revenue generated by the film since its release. premiere.

The protagonists of the romantic drama that is based on the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare allege that the director of the film Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially told them that they would wear flesh-colored underwear for the bedroom scene, but that the day they filmed it he only informed them that they would wear body makeup.

In addition, the director assured them that the camera would be positioned so as not to show nudity, but Whiting’s rear end and Hussey’s breasts can be seen briefly in the film. At that time, the actor was 16 years old, while the actress was only 15.

The actor couple has sued Paramount Pictures for sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud, accusing the film studio of sexually exploiting them and distributing images of naked adolescent children.

The court record says Whiting and Hussey have suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades as a result of the way they were treated. The lawyer for both actors, Solomon Gresen, issued a statement where he provided more information on the case.

Images of nude minors are illegal and should not be posted. These were very young, naive kids in the ’60s who didn’t understand what was about to hit them. Suddenly, they became famous on a level they never expected, and on top of that, they were raped in ways they didn’t know how to handle.

It gives me great pleasure to see these images, with that wonderful background music… it’s an inexplicable feeling.