Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, stars of the 1968 adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous romantic tragedy play “Romeo and Juliet,” are suing Paramount Pictures and The Criterion Collection, a home-video distribution company, over the alleged “digitally enhanced” 2023 re-release of the film, Us Weekly reported.
The point of contention stems from a brief nude scene acted out by Mr. Whiting and Ms. Hussey—who played the film’s titular characters when they were 16 and 15, respectively.
According to the claim, the digital release featured “computer created” and “digitally enhanced photographs” of Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting lying in bed together unclothed, depicting the former’s bare breasts and the latter’s bare buttocks.
In their joint statement, the actors criticized Paramount for not taking “responsibility for their production in the digital enhancement, production and distribution” of the film. They also claimed the photos included in the reproduction “were fraudulently and surreptitiously taken of the most private areas” of their nude bodies without their permission.
“What Paramount and Criterion have now done is publicly release a version of the film that technically enhances the film but, to my shock and dismay, also enhances my ‘underage’ nude body and that entire bedroom scene, including Leonard’s body, in something one may see in pornographic photos, magazines or films,” she continued.
Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting are asking the courts for a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the digital release from being distributed with the inclusion of the digital photos. They are also seeking compensation for “emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, and mental anguish.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Paramount Pictures and The Criterion Collection, but did not receive responses before the time of publication.
Legal Battle Over Nude Scene
The lawsuit against Paramount marks the second time Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting have sued the company. CNBC previously reported that in December 2022, the actors filed a $500 million lawsuit against Paramount, alleging they were sexually exploited and harassed, claiming the nude scene was “essentially pornography” involving minors.The filing reads: “However, on the morning of the shoot of the bedroom scene ... the minor children Plaintiffs were given body make-up and were told by Mr. Zeffirelli that they must act in the nude or the Picture would fail.”
The actors also alleged the director told them “they would never work again in any profession, let alone Hollywood.”
He said, “It is embarrassing to hear that today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who owe their notoriety essentially to this film wake up to declare that they have suffered an abuse that has caused them years of anxiety and emotional discomfort.”
Both Ms. Hussey and Mr. Whiting took home “New Star of the Year” awards at the 1969 Golden Globes for their performances in the film.
The case was ultimately dismissed in May 2023 after Superior Court Judge Alison Mackenzie determined the scene was protected under the First Amendment:
She continued: “Plaintiffs’ argument on the subject is limited to cherry-picked language from federal and state statutes without offering any authority regarding the interpretation or application of those statutory provisions to purported works of artistic merit, such as the award-winning film at issue here.”
