Stars Of 1968 ‘Romeo And Juliet’ Are Suing Paramount For Child Abuse

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, stars of the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, are now suing Paramount for child abuse. In the film, they appear nude and they were only teenagers at the time. After a change in California law, they are now able to sue for older child sexual abuse claims. They are seeking damages “believed to be in excess of $500 million.”

Both actors are now in their 70s and are claiming that they were told there would be no nudity in the film. On the day of filming the nude scenes, they said they were pressured into it or told the movie would fail in theaters.

Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting are suing Paramount

Their business manager Tony Marinozzi, shared, “What they were told and what went on were two different things. They trusted Franco. At 16, as actors, they took his lead that he would not violate that trust they had. Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do? There are no options. There was no #MeToo.”

RELATED: Naomi Judd’s Family Asks For Dismissal Of Lawsuit Over Death Records

Their attorney Solomon Green added, “Nude images of minors are unlawful and shouldn’t be exhibited. These were very young naive children in the ’60s who had no understanding of what was about to hit them. All of a sudden they were famous at a level they never expected, and in addition they were violated in a way they didn’t know how to deal with.”

Just a few years ago, Olivia seemingly defended the nude scenes and said they were not a big deal. She said that the scene was “tasteful” and “needed for the film.” What’s your take on this situation and lawsuit?

RELATED: Clint Eastwood Wins Second Lawsuit Against CBD Advertising