The stars of 1968&#039;s Romeo and Juliet Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting filed a lawsuit against Paramount over the infamous sex scene.

55 Years Later, &#8216;Romeo and Juliet&#8217; Stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount Over Bedroom Scene

Shakespeare’s classic tragic romance, Romeo and Juliet, has been adapted for the
silver screens several times. This generation will probably remember the one
starring Leonardo DiCaprio. However, long before DiCaprio’s boyish good looks
captured the hearts of the audience, it was the 1968 movie starring Leonard
Whiting and Olivia Hussey that captivated the moviegoers. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPFYdqqL0vc

55 years had passed since Paramount released the movie and now it finds itself
in the middle of controversy again. The two leads have sued the company for
child sexual abuse over the then-bold nude scenes. 

ALSO READ: Jeremy Renner’s Fans Pour Love as Marvel Actor Is in ICU Post Snow
Storm Related Accident
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-jeremy-renner-fans-pour-love-as-marvel-actor-is-in-icu-post-snow-storm-related-accident/]


ROMEO AND JULIET NUDE SCENES WERE SHOT WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF OLIVIA HUSSEY OR
LEONARD WHITING

Back in 1968, during the filming of Frank Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, both
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were teenagers. Apparently, they had never
agreed to do nudity in the picture. Now in their 70s, the leads have filed a
lawsuit against Paramount for child sexual abuse according to Variety
[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/romeo-and-juliet-child-abuse-nude-scene-lawsuit-1235477837/]. 

Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, apparently assured them that the film involved no
nudity. He had told them about the different camera tricks and positions he
would employ to simulate the scene. The 16-year-olds were supposed to wear
flesh-colored garments throughout the bedroom scene. But on the day of the
shoot, they were “implored” to film nude.



Nudity was not common in the 60s Hollywood. The provocative scene included
Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts. Although the 16-year-old stars
became stars overnight after the movie premiered, they have worked only
sporadically in Hollywood after that. The emotional and mental distress of the
whole event caused the stars to lose out on projects. Paramount may have to pay
a heavy amount (excess of $500 million) to the actors for the damages. 

Meanwhile, in 2018, Hussey told Fox News
[https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/olivia-hussey-recalls-controversial-romeo-and-juliet-role-at-16-reveals-personal-tragedies],
“It wasn’t that big of a deal.” Although the scene was too bold for a
conservative America then, they both understood the assignment. In fact,
according to her, the script demanded the scene and Zeffirelli shot it rather
“tastefully.” 

ALSO READ: Is ‘Rosaline’ Available on Netflix? Where Can You Watch the Modern
Re-Telling of the Shakespeare Classic Romeo and Juliette
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-is-rosaline-available-on-netflix-where-can-you-watch-the-modern-re-telling-of-the-shakespeare-classic-romeo-and-juliette/]

What do you think about the lawsuit and Hussey’s contradictory remarks?

Srabani Biswas

Comment

55 Years Later, &#8216;Romeo and Juliet&#8217; Stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount Over Bedroom Scene - Netflix Junkie

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Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning. A daydreamer, a dancer, and a lover of dogs, she enjoys quiet evenings with her laptop and a cozy blanket. With so much to do and so little time, she is constantly worried about her growing pile of unread books and unwatched shows on Netflix. Her favourites include Stranger, Vincenzo, Hello! My twenties,  Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Reply 1997 and Sex Education.

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55 Years Later, &#8216;Romeo and Juliet&#8217; Stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount Over Bedroom Scene - netflix-junkie

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Shakespeare&#8217;s classic tragic romance, Romeo and Juliet, has been adapted for the silver screens several times. This generation will probably remember the one starring Leonardo DiCaprio. However, long before DiCaprio&#8217;s boyish good looks captured the hearts of the audience, it was the 1968 movie starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey that captivated the moviegoers. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPFYdqqL0vc
55 years had passed since Paramount released the movie and now it finds itself in the middle of controversy again. The two leads have sued the company for child sexual abuse over the then-bold nude scenes. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-jeremy-renner-fans-pour-love-as-marvel-actor-is-in-icu-post-snow-storm-related-accident/">Jeremy Renner’s Fans Pour Love as Marvel Actor Is in ICU Post Snow Storm Related Accident</a>
<h2>Romeo and Juliet nude scenes were shot without the knowledge of Olivia Hussey or Leonard Whiting</h2>
Back in 1968, during the filming of Frank Zeffirelli&#8217;s Romeo and Juliet, both Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were teenagers. Apparently, they had never agreed to do nudity in the picture. Now in their 70s, the leads have filed a lawsuit against Paramount for child sexual abuse <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/romeo-and-juliet-child-abuse-nude-scene-lawsuit-1235477837/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Variety</a>. 
Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, apparently assured them that the film involved no nudity. He had told them about the different camera tricks and positions he would employ to simulate the scene. The 16-year-olds were supposed to wear flesh-colored garments throughout the bedroom scene. But on the day of the shoot, they were &#8220;implored&#8221; to film nude.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Olivia Hussey (1968) interview on nude scene in Romeo and Juliet" width="1170" height="878" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Namro6_OOqY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Nudity was not common in the 60s Hollywood. The provocative scene included Whiting&#8217;s buttocks and Hussey&#8217;s bare breasts. Although the 16-year-old stars became stars overnight after the movie premiered, they have worked only sporadically in Hollywood after that. The emotional and mental distress of the whole event caused the stars to lose out on projects. Paramount may have to pay a heavy amount (excess of $500 million) to the actors for the damages. 
Meanwhile, in 2018, Hussey told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/olivia-hussey-recalls-controversial-romeo-and-juliet-role-at-16-reveals-personal-tragedies">Fox News</a>, &#8220;It wasn’t that big of a deal.&#8221; Although the scene was too bold for a conservative America then, they both understood the assignment. In fact, according to her, the script demanded the scene and Zeffirelli shot it rather &#8220;tastefully.&#8221; 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-is-rosaline-available-on-netflix-where-can-you-watch-the-modern-re-telling-of-the-shakespeare-classic-romeo-and-juliette/">Is ‘Rosaline’ Available on Netflix? Where Can You Watch the Modern Re-Telling of the Shakespeare Classic Romeo and Juliette</a>
What do you think about the lawsuit and Hussey&#8217;s contradictory remarks?

Is ‘Rosaline’ Available on Netflix? Where Can You Watch the Modern Re-Telling of
the Shakespeare Classic Romeo and Juliette

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https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Romeo-and-Juliet-love-scene-e1584361473926.jpg

The stars of 1968's Romeo and Juliet Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting filed a lawsuit against Paramount over the infamous sex scene.

55 Years Later, 'Romeo and Juliet' Stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount Over Bedroom Scene - Netflix Junkie

Srabani Biswas is a writer at Netflix Junkie. She is a sociology graduate from Lady Brabourne College. Previously, she has contributed to Sports India Show and The Sports Room as a sports writer, and interned at Ripples Learning. A daydreamer, a dancer, and a lover of dogs, she enjoys quiet evenings with her laptop and a cozy blanket. With so much to do and so little time, she is constantly worried about her growing pile of unread books and unwatched shows on Netflix. Her favourites include Stranger, Vincenzo, Hello! My twenties, Emily in Paris, Never Have I Ever, Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Reply 1997 and Sex Education.

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55 Years Later, &#039;Romeo and Juliet&#039; Stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount Over Bedroom Scene - Netflix Junkie

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55 Years Later, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting Sue Paramount Over Bedroom Scene

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