Stars of controversial 1968 Romeo and Juliet sue studio again over nude scene

16 February 2024 , 22:43

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Olivia and Leonard have joined forces to sue Paramount again

The stars of the controversial 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet have sued Paramount Pictures again over the movie’s scandalous nude scene.

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were 15 and 17 when they landed the roles of the star-crossed lovers in the film, which was directed by the late Franco Zeffirelli. They originally sued last year, accusing the film studio of of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual abuse and intentional infliction of emotional distress with a nude scene involving minors. While the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge, Olivia and Leonard have since launched more legal action against Paramount Pictures this month.

In a new complaint over the Criterion Collection home re-release of Romeo and Juliet, both actors allege they did not agree to have their work “recreated or republished”, with Leonard’s lawyer claiming he never “consented in writing to perform as an actor” in the 1968 movie. They claimed “nothing in the agreement” for the original release allowed Paramount to recreate photographs of their work in any other medium than 35 mm analogue cinematographic photographs.

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Leonard and Olivia were 17 and 15 when they filmed the nude scene (Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

Both parties are seeking “damages in a sum according to proof that is adequate to compensate” them “for their economic injuries suffered as herein above alleged.” Their initial lawsuit in December 2022 alleged that director Franco Zeffirelli assured Leonard and Olivia that the film would not include nudity, and flesh-coloured clothing would be used for the nude scene. However, they claimed he later backtracked on his promises, and said the film “would fail” unless they both performed the scene nude.

Court documents revealed the duo were seeking compensation “believed to be in excess of $500 million” to match the amount of money they believe the film has earned since it was released in 1968. Their legal action, which included claims of child sexual abuse, was dismissed by a judge in May last year. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Alison Mackenzie ruled that the film's content wasn’t at the level of child pornography and noted that Olivia and Leonard’s legal teams didn't fully comply with California law before the statute of limitations expired.

The stars have joined forces to launched legal action against Paramount (AFP via Getty Images)

The stars’ attorney Solomon Gresen “strongly denounced” the judge's decision, and indicated they would be filing a federal lawsuit over the re-release of Romeo & Juliet last year. “We firmly believe that the exploitation and sexualization of minors in the film industry must be confronted and legally addressed to protect vulnerable individuals from harm and ensure the enforcement of existing laws,” he said in a fiery statement.

Emma Wilson