Romeo and Juliet director Franco Zeffirelli’s son has opposed actors’ ‘abuse’ lawsuit.

Pippo Zeffirelli, son of Romeo and Juliet Director Franco Zeffirelli criticizes the lawsuit brought by the stars of this film, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting.

The actors allege sexual exploitation and child abuse in a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures over a famous nude scene in William Shakespeare’s 1968 film adaptation of Zeffirelli.

Hussey and Whiting, now 71 and 72, filed lawsuits against Paramount earlier this week. They claimed that Franco Zeffirelli violated their consent by filming them naked without their knowledge. Hussey and Whiting were 15 and 16 at the time of filming. Zeffirelli died in 2019.

“What they were told and what happened were two different things,” Tony Marinozzi, who serves as business manager for both Hussey and Whiting, said in a statement. “They trusted Franco. At the age of 16, they took the lead as an actor that he would not violate that trust they had. Franco was her boyfriend, and honestly, what do you do when you’re 16? There are no options. There was no #MeToo.”

These allegations refute a statement released by Pippo Zeffirelli on Friday. He said the scene in question was “far from pornographic”.

“It is embarrassing to hear that today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who largely credit this film with their fame are waking up to state that they were victims of abuse that left them with years of fear and emotional discomfort has. ,” said Pippo Zeffirelli. in a statement (via The Guardian).

“It seems to me that over the years they have always maintained a relationship of deep gratitude and friendship with Zeffirelli, publishing hundreds of interviews about the happy memory of their very happy experience crowned with worldwide success.”

Pippo Zeffirelli noted that both actors would have praised the film just three years ago. He also noted that Hussey re-teamed with Franco Zeffirelli for the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazarethwhile Whiting attended his father’s funeral in Italy in 2019.

“Zeffirelli himself has been accused of being reactionary, precisely because he has repeatedly spoken out against pornography,” added Pippo. “The actions in the film express the beauty, the transference, I would even say the openness of mutual giving and contain no morbid feelings.”

In January 2020, the statute of limitations on civil claims alleging child sexual abuse in California was suspended for three calendar years. the Romeo and Juliet Shortly before the end of December 31, 2022, a lawsuit was filed for survivors of childhood sexual assault to file a civil abuse claim regardless of age. The lawsuit seeks $500 million in damages.

The statute of limitations has now begun again in California.

The lawsuit alleged that “the defendants acted dishonestly and secretly filmed the naked or partially naked minor children without their knowledge in violation of state and federal laws governing the sexual abuse and exploitation of that child.” Plaintiffs suffered and continue to suffer physical pain and mental anguish, along with extreme and severe mental anguish and emotional distress,” reads the lawsuit (read here) for the Oscar-nominated film, based on William Shakespeare’s classic love story.

Encino CA resident attorney Solomon Gresen is handling the case.

The filing continues: “At the time of filming, Mr. Whiting (Romeo) a minor child of 16 and m. Hussey was also a minor child aged 15 years. The plaintiffs were by mr. Zeffirelli was informed that no nudity would be filmed or displayed and that the plaintiffs would wear flesh-colored underwear during the bedroom/love scene. On the morning of the shooting of the bedroom scene in the second week of December 1968, the very last days of photography, the bodies of the plaintiffs’ minor children were prepared and by Mr. Zeffirelli instructed to appear naked. otherwise the photo would fail. Millions have been invested. They will never work in any profession again, let alone in Hollywood. Zeffirelli showed them where the cameras would be set up so that no nudity would be filmed or photographed Romeo and Juliet or anywhere. The plaintiffs believed they had no choice but to perform nude with body makeup on for the final days of filming, as requested.

Paramount did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the seven-claim lawsuit.

Dominic Patten contributed to this report.