Paramount sued for $500 million over the 1968 'Romeo & Juliet' nude scene

January 6, 2023: Two stars of the 1968 film adaptation of “Romeo & Juliet” is suing Paramount Pictures for over $500 million for a nude scene the actors shot when they lived as teenagers.

Leonard Whiting, aged 72, and Olivia Hussey, aged 71, claim director Franco Zeffirelli “secretly” recorded them nude or partially nude without their information, despite last assurances that there would be no nudity exhibited in the Oscar-winning movie. At the time of filming, Whiting, who is showing Romeo aged 16, and Hussey, who performed Juliet, was 15.

The pair complained about the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court for sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud.

According to the filing, Zeffirelli, who expired in 2019, told the actors that they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments in the bedroom scene where Whiting’s bare buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts are shown. Therefore, when the scene was shot in the last days of filming, the actors were told that they would wear body makeup and that the camera should be positioned in a way that would not reveal nudity, according to the suit.

The actors stated that they “believed they had zero choices but to act in the nude in body makeup as demanded” and alleged the scene violated California laws against corruption and the exploitation of children.

Solomon Green, the actors’ attorney, stated that they’re seeking a punitive loss of $100 million but are possibly entitled to over $500 million to match the amount the movies have earned since 1968.

“Paramount keeps displaying and profiting from these images of nude minor children,” said Green. “They surely know better. Time should be up.”

Upon its release, the documentaries also proved a critical success, winning Academy Awards in the well-known cinematography and costume design categories and revenues a nomination for best picture.