Romeo & Juliet stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting sued Paramount Pictures for $100 million for sexual abuse. Fifty-five years after the movie came out in 1968, Hussey and Whiting blame the studio for negligence and allowing the exploitation of minors.
Hussey was 15 and Whiting was 16 when they shot the movie with director Franco Zeffirelli. He died in 2019, but the misery and trauma suffered by the actors when they were teenagers remain with them. The lawsuit was filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Romeo & Juliet Stars Olivia Hussey And Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount For Sexual Abuse
In the statements filed by Hussey and Whiting, they claimed that Zeffirelli lied to them and broke their trust when he said there would be no n*dity filmed or exhibited. They were told to wear flesh-colored undergarments during the intimate scene in Romeo & Juliet.
On the morning of the shoot, Hussey and Whiting were given body make-up and were told to act nude or the Picture would fail. The director threatened the actors that millions of cash were invested in the film. He also said that they would never work in Hollywood again. Hussey and Whiting were forced to act n*de, with the woman’s bare breasts and the man’s buttocks shown on screen.
The complainants claimed that they suffered mental and emotional stress for decades. The famous Shakespearean drama earned immense success and even bagged four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Hussey and Whiting also won Golden Globes for their performances in Romeo & Juliet.
Tony Marinozzi, the stars’ manager, told Deadline in a recent interview:
“It has taken great courage for both Olivia and Leonard to address the sexploitation/sexualization (of minors) that occurred then, and unfortunately continues to permeate our society today.”
The manager also noted that many support groups including the #MeToo movement provided both actors the platform to raise their voices and make the abusers take responsibility for their actions.
Hussey And Whiting Seek Compensation For Decades Of Trauma
Hussey, now 71, and Whiting, 72, were the biggest stars during the height of the movie. The n*de scene in the film caused a stir in the public, and in one of Hussey’s interviews in 2018, she told Fox News that it “wasn’t that big of a deal,” and in another interview, she claimed that it was needed for the movie and that they are theatre veterans.
Solomon Gresen, the duo’s attorney, added that they are looking at “compensatory, economic and non-economic damages according to proof, along with disgorgements of the economic benefit to Paramount.” The studio has not yet released any statement regarding the lawsuit.
Source: Deadline, Fox News
