LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Portraying young love,  the iconic 1597 play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare eventually became academy award-winning 1960s movie starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting

On Dec. 30, 2022, Hussey and Whiting filed a lawsuit against Paramount nearly 60 years after production. Only 15 and 16 at the time the movie was filmed, these adolescents were promised there would be no nudity during an intimate scene, only to be told at the last minute to perform nude or the scene would fail. 

Director Franco Zeffirelli, who passed away in 2019, showed the teenagers the camera’s positioning and guaranteed them nude-colored undergarments that would ensure a complete lack of nudity. Filmed at the last minute, Zeffirelli had the children continue the scene nude, disregarding their agreement entirely.

Now in their 70s, Hussey and Whiting are seeking $500 million to compensate for the harm these few seconds caused. They both suffered emotional damage as well as multiple losses in job opportunities that drastically shortened their overall rating careers. 

Every year, freshman English classes read the classic “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare along with watching the 1968 reenactment of the play. While not all teachers allow this scene to be played during class, many have shown it for years, as it is an attempt to show the true love story and tragedy of the two young lovers. Before the lawsuit, very few knew about the seriousness of the situation and played it off as harmless. 

“I don’t think the nudity or partial nudity was necessary, the Shakespearean play doesn’t say ‘show this’ or ‘show that.’ I think that the dialogue in the scene itself is important for character development showing their dying love for each other,” student-teacher Mr. Young said. 

While the lawsuit has not entirely been settled, it appears that the viewpoint of the actors and that of the observing public are at odds. As the lawsuit continues, it’s crucial to understand that the young actors’ personal boundaries were neglected and overall dismissed.