Romeo and Juliet from 1968 at the center of a controversial lawsuit for nudity

He and she were the stars of the Romeo & Juliet of 1968. Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey were just 15 and 16 years old at the time of filming the film by Franco Zeffirelli, based on the famous comedy by William Shakespeare.

Both filed charges today against the Paramount studio, which they accuse of sexual exploitation of minors and distribution of nude images.

At the time of filming, the now-deceased Franco Zefirelli claimed that there would be no nudity in the film and that both would be wearing flesh-colored prosthetics for the intimacy scene. Subsequently he had insisted that the scene be shot with the two actors naked, but with their bodies made up, otherwise the film would have derailed.

Did he take advantage of the youth and naivety of Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey? Did you give in to studio pressure? However, the sex scene between the two lovers had drawn a lot of ink at the time, particularly as Olivia Hussey appeared there shirtless and the audience could see Leonard Whiting’s bare buttocks.

Interviewed in 2018 by Variety, the actress Olivia Hussey had defended the nudity necessary for the film, and defended the director’s respect for her. “It was very taboo in America”he also explained to Fox News. “But in Europe many films contained nudity. No one found fault. But the fact that I was 16 caused a lot of talk… The team was reduced to a minimum, a handful of people. This was done at the end of the day, over time. It was a closed set. »

Did the scene negatively impact the careers of Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey?

According to the complaint, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting say they have suffered for decades from psychological difficulties and anxieties that have impacted their respective film careers. If the Romeo & Juliet by Franco Zefirelli did well at the box office, the two protagonists then did not have a memorable success. They ask today compensation of $500 million.

Their attorney, Solomon Gresen, says they both “They were young, naïve kids in the 60s who didn’t understand what was coming to them. Suddenly they became famous to a degree they could never have hoped for, and on top of that they were abused in ways they couldn’t handle. » For their manager Tony Marinozzi, this case is also a reflection of an era: “Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what to do? He had no other choice. There was no #MeToo. »

This latest version of the world’s most famous teenage idyll was a huge success as well as two Oscars, and was the subject of two nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.