Over the past few years there’s been a ton of conversations about appropriate behavior on film sets, including #MeToo movement, and the introduction of intimacy coordinators. Recently the two stars of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 Romeo and Juliet have sued Paramount and made allegations about being pressured to appear nude while underage. And now the late filmmaker’s son has responded to this controversy.
Romeo and Juliet stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting recently made allegations about their time filming the movie at just 15 and 16 years old respectively. Namely that they weren’t originally supposed to appear nude, and were pressured by director Franco Zeffirelli as children. They also take umbrage with their nude images being distributed for so long. The late filmmaker’s son Pippo Zeffirelli issued a statement about the allegations (via The Guardian) calling the scene “far from pornographic” and saying:
Zeffirelli himself was accused of being reactionary precisely because, over and over again, he spoke out against pornography. The nude images in the film express the beauty, the transfer, I would even say the candor of mutual giving and do not contain any morbid feeling. It is embarrassing to hear that today, 55 years after filming, two elderly actors who owe their notoriety essentially to this film wake up to declare that they have suffered an abuse that has caused them years of anxiety and emotional discomfort.
Well, there you have it. It seems that Pippo Zeffirelli takes umbrage with the recent allegations by Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, and for a few different reasons. He doesn’t seem to think that the nude scenes in Romeo and Juliet are sexual in any way. What’s more, he cited his late father’s stance on pornography when addressing the claims made by the movie’s stars.
Zeffirelli’s comments are sure to turn a few heads, especially considering just how serious the allegations made by Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting are. The pair of actors, who are now in their ‘70s, had previously spoken quite well about their experience working on Romeo and Juliet, with Hussey in particular seeming proud of the nude scene in particular during an interview with Fox News years ago. And it seems that juxtaposition is a reason why Pippo Zeffirelli feels so strongly about this lawsuit. Later in his official statement, he addressed the relationship Hussey and Whiting and his late father, saying:
It appears to me that in all these years, they have always maintained a relationship of deep gratitude and friendship towards Zeffirelli, releasing hundreds of interviews about the happy memory of their very fortunate experience, which was crowned with worldwide success.
It remains to be seen how Hussey and Whiting’s lawsuit against Paramount ultimately plays out. In the lawsuit, they asked for financial damages up to $500 million, since their naked bodies have been distributed and seen for so many years. The lawsuit was able to be brought to the courts thanks to a California law that has temporarily suspended the statute of limitations regarding claims of child sexual abuse. Although given the decades that have passed, and the passing of Zeffirelli himself, it seems like a complicated situation.
The 1968 Romeo and Juliet is available to rent in places like Amazon. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. We’ll just have to see the next time that the Shakespeare play is adapted for film, although Hulu’s Rosaline definitely can be included.