Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, stars of the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, have filed a new lawsuit against Paramount Pictures and the Criterion Collection over the film’s domestic release.
The new application seeks a “preliminary and permanent injunction restraining the distribution of digital releases containing digital photographs.”
“Digital photos” refers to images taken during the filming of “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Franco Zeffirelli, in which both underage actors included in the 2023 film were “digitally processed, unlike the original work. In the digital release, their private parts were depicted in such detail that the misrepresentation was obscene, indecent and humiliating to them. ”
The actors claimed damages based on sufficient evidence to compensate them for the “general injuries sustained by Hussey and Whiting as alleged above,” including “mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, and emotional distress.” They are seeking compensation.
Olivia Hussey looks back on her controversial 16-year-old role in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and reveals personal tragedy
Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, stars of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” have filed a new lawsuit seeking to stop the distribution of digitally altered images of them both nude, taken when they were both minors. I woke you up. (Photo credit: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP, Getty Images)
For both Hussey and Whiting, the lawsuit alleges that Paramount, operating under the name BHE Productions Ltd., “reproduces, republishes, or redistributes photographs of her performance in the film.” It was not permitted under any provision of the contract.” [‘Romeo & Juliet’] Shooting in any medium or format other than 35mm analog motion picture photography. ”
Lawyers representing Mr. Hussey and Mr. Whiting, William Romaine and Jishan Lokhandwala of the Romaine Lokhandwala Law Group, spoke to Fox News Digital by phone about the case.
“On December 30, 2023, our office sent a letter to Paramount’s attorneys informing them, among other things, that images depicted in the 2023 digital film for which consent was not obtained must be removed. , we received a letter of refusal from Paramount’s lawyers on January 19, 2024 stating that they would not remove the images from the film,” Lokhandwala said.
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Lawyers for Mr. Whiting and Mr. Hussey said they sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paramount before the digitally enhanced film was released. (Bettman)
Romaine further explained that this lawsuit is separate from Hussey and Whiting’s previous lawsuits.
“We want people to understand that our case concerns only digital recreation. Our client felt that… [after they saw it] It effectively turned what was a classic into a pornographic film. That’s really the difference,” he said.
He added: “The emphasis on youthful nudity is exploitative and our client feels there is no excuse for it at all. The story has no need for it. They never consented to the 1968 film. Zeffirielli convinced them to be photographed nude, but there was nothing about that in the contract or in the script.”
Lokhandwala added: “This case is about dignity in the memory of two loved ones. We all, as human beings, should have the right to dignity in our memory and legacy. No company, no matter how powerful, should be able to influence other companies.” We do not violate a person’s memory and heritage without their consent. ”
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Lawyers for the actors say Hussey and Whiting never gave their written consent for the nude scenes or the photos taken in connection with them. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Representatives for Whiting, Paramount and Criterion did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the new filing.
Hussey and Whiting filed a lawsuit last year seeking $500 million in damages from Paramount Pictures, claiming that nude scenes in the 1968 film constitute child pornography and that they were sexually abused during filming. Ta.
The judge ruled that the film’s scenes were protected by the First Amendment, and Hussey and Whiting argued that “the film could be considered sexually suggestive under the law. “We have not issued any authority to show that.” It’s definitely illegal. ”
In the lawsuit, the actors claim that Zeffirelli initially told them they would not be photographed nude and would instead wear skin-colored clothing. However, when it came time to shoot the scene, the director reportedly insisted that the two teenagers be nude or the film would fail.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ director Franco Zeffirelli dies at age 96
In an earlier lawsuit, Whiting and Hussey claimed that Zeffirelli insisted that the two teenagers be nude “otherwise the film would fail.” (Höhn/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Zeffirelli passed away in 2019, but his son released a statement condemning the original lawsuit.
Director Pippo Zeffirelli said: “Today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who gained notoriety essentially because of this film are waking up to face years of abuse that caused them anxiety and emotional discomfort. It’s embarrassing to hear that he confessed to doing so.” The Guardian said in a statement.
The new filing states that Hussey and Whiting were “convinced and convinced that they were victims of ‘grooming’ by Zeffirelli as a result of a major change in social norms, commonly known as the ‘Me Too movement.'” and reiterated the allegations against Zeffirelli. I began to believe that the “movie vibe” excuse Zeffirelli gave for his insistence that he perform without clothes was due to his proclivities rather than any true artistic conceit on Zeffirelli’s part. Ta. Sexual desire. “
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Hussey and Whiting’s new filing reiterates the allegations against Zeffirelli, including allegations of “grooming.” (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
As Mr. Romaine said on behalf of his clients, “One of the things that they can tolerate is the publication of a photo that Zeffirelli said he would never show publicly and that belonged to no one but Zeffirelli.” I don’t even have nude photos of them, which is the best I can say. “But to flip it in 2023 and turn it into an indecent exposure of the intimate areas of their youth was all it took, it was then that they realized this was wrong.” , this shouldn’t be done. And that’s what this lawsuit is about, and it has nothing to do with what happened in 1968 other than context.”
The next court date in the case is in June, when the lawyers plan to speak to the judge for a case management conference hearing.
