A judge has dismissed a second lawsuit over nudity in the bedroom scene in the 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet.
Actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were 16 and 17 at the time of filming. The pair, who played Juliet and Romeo respectively, first sued Paramount in December 2022, alleging that they were duped by Zeffirelli into appearing in the nude.
In the original lawsuit, the actors argued that the film amounts to “child pornography”. The scene in question includes a lingering shot of Whiting’s bare buttocks and a glimpse of Hussey’s naked breasts.
The judge rejected that argument, finding in May last year that the scene was not “sufficiently sexually suggestive” to meet the definition.
The actors then filed a new lawsuit in February this year, arguing that the digitally restored 2023 re-release triggered a new statute of limitations.
The new lawsuit was filed under state and federal laws intended to combat “revenge pornography,” which prohibit the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
In her ruling, reported by Variety, the judge noted that the producers had contracts with both actors, indicating that they consented to participate in the film and that the re-release was not different enough to warrant revisiting the earlier ruling.
Romeo and Juliet was a major sensation when it was released, largely due to director Franco Zeffirelli’s decision to cast teenagers in the lead roles. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two.
