Stars of 1968 'Romeo and Juliet' sue Paramount over nude scene filmed when they ... trends now
The stars of 1968's 'Romeo and Juliet' are suing over the nude scene they filmed when they were just 15 and 16 years old.
Olivia Hussey, 71, and Leonard Whiting, 72, filed a lawsuit Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court accusing the studio of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual abuse, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Hussey and Whiting say director Franco Zeffirelli originally told them there would not be any nudity in the film but on the last day of filming, he allegedly said the film 'would fail' unless they performed a scene nude while wearing body makeup.
The pair are seeking damages 'believed to be in excess of 500 million.'
Olivia Hussey, 71, and Leonard Whiting, 72, filed a lawsuit Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court
The pair is accusing the studio of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual abuse, and intentional infliction of emotional distress
The lawsuit also alleges the pair were filmed nude without their knowledge.
'What they were told and what went on were two different things,' said Tony Marinozzi, a business manager for the actors, in a statement.
'They trusted Franco. At 16, as actors, they took his lead that he would not violate that trust they had,' the manager said.
'Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do?' Marinozzi added in a statement to the outlet. 'There are no options. There was no #MeToo.'
The suit alleges Zefrelli showed the actors where the camera would be placed but that no nudity would be filmed or released.
Hussey and Whiting thought 'they had no choice but to act in the nude with body makeup as demanded on the last day of filming.'
