Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were the teen stars of Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. The film was a huge hit and was nominated for an Oscar for best picture, among other things. Hussey received a Golden Globe for Best Newcomer for his portrayal of Juliet, and Whiting received a Golden Globe for Best Newcomer for his role as Romeo.

Now, 55 years later, the two leading actors, who are now over 70, are suing the then responsible film studio Paramount in a Californian court for 500 million dollars. The two Britons accuse the studio and director Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, of having pushed them into a nude scene, even though both were still minors at the time. Whiting was 16 when the film was filmed, and Hussey was only 15.

According to the lawsuit, the two teenage actors were promised there would be no nudity in the film. In a bed scene, however, the director insisted that the actors be naked. "What they were told and what actually happened are two different things," said Tony Marinozzi, who works as a manager for the two actors, according to US magazine Variety.

Accordingly, director Franco Zeffirelli is said to have persuaded the two to only wear body make-up instead of flesh-colored underwear. And he is said to have promised the two that they will not be seen naked. "They trusted Franco," says Marinozzi. "At 16, as an actor, you relied on him not to betray that trust. Franco was her boyfriend, and frankly, what are you going to do at 16? There are no options. There weren't any

The nude scene of the two underage actors had already caused controversy after the film was released in 1968. The film features Whiting's bare bottom and Hussey's bare breasts, which is why the film was not rated for minors. The church protested, in some countries the scene was cut out.

The film made Hussey and Whiting famous overnight. According to the lawsuit, the two actors are said to have suffered from mental anxiety because of the nude scene and were not able to get jobs. In 2018, Hussey defended the scene in an interview. She was necessary for the film.