'Romeo and Juliet' cast sues Paramount Pictures for 'sexual exploitation'

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting have filed a lawsuit in the California Supreme Court in Santa Monica accusing Paramount Pictures of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The appeal is related to a scene in the movie Romeo and Juliet (1968) in which both actors appeared naked on screen. Hussie was 15 at the time of filming, and Whiting was 16. According to the performers, director Franco Zeffireli assured them before filming that it was not necessary to be naked in the scene, but skin-colored underwear could be used. However, at the last moment, the director changed his mind and warned the young actors that the film would "fail" if everything was not real. In fact, Zeffirelli left them no choice. As a result, their naked bodies ended up in the final version of Romeo and Juliet - Olivia's chest and Leonard's buttocks.

“What they were told and what happened next are completely different things,” spokesman for the actors Tony Marinozzi told reporters. “They trusted Franco. At 16 years old, being actors, they listened to him and hoped that he would not break that trust." According to Hussey and Whiting, the experience dealt a devastating blow to their reputations and careers, leading to its untimely end. As compensation for non-pecuniary damage, they demand $ 500 million from Paramount.