‘It Was Abuse Disguised as Art,’ Says ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Actress Amid Teen Nudity Lawsuit

‘It Was Abuse Disguised as Art,’ Says ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Actress Amid Teen Nudity Lawsuit
Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey in 1967 in the title roles of Franco Zeffirelli's film version of Shakespeare's "Romeo And Juliet." Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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Franco Zeffirelli was a well-respected Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer, and politician. So when Zeffirelli, in his role as the director of the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” allegedly told teenage actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting there would be no nudity shown, they said they believed him.

It turned out not to be true. Hussey’s bare breasts and Whiting’s buttocks were shown in the film, and now, 55 years later, the pair has filed a lawsuit against the film’s production company Paramount Pictures for sexual exploitation and distribution of nude images of minors.