Paramount Seeks to Throw Out Suit Over 1968 ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Nude Scene
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Paramount has filed a motion to throw out a lawsuit over the 1968 version of “Romeo and Juliet,” arguing that a nude scene with underage actors does not amount to “childhood sexual assault.” Actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were 16 and 17 when they starred in the movie, which was directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
The film’s famous bedroom scene includes a lingering shot of Whiting’s buttocks and a brief glimpse of Hussey’s breasts. The actors, now in their 70s, filed a $500 million suit in December, alleging that Zeffirelli pressured them into performing in the nude.
They accused Paramount, the distributor, of profiting from their sexual exploitation. Paramount’s lawyers filed a motion on Monday, arguing that the suit is doomed to fail for a host of reasons.
Among other things, the suit argues that the actors cannot file suit under a California law that suspends the statute of limitations for child sexual assault, because the scene does not qualify as assault.
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