'Romeo and Juliet' child sexual exploitation NO lawsuit dismissed

Underage male and female actors, the main characters of the 1960s movie 'Romeo and Juliet', filed a lawsuit against the film production company for allegedly sexual exploitation for 500 million dollars (approximately 663.2 billion won). However, the lawsuit was dismissed.

On the 25th (local time), according to the New York Times, the US media, the Los Angeles County Court of First Instance dismissed the lawsuit filed by Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, against the production company Paramount Pictures. did.

The court held that the scene in question by Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whitting did not constitute child pornography. In addition, I saw that the movie 'Romeo and Juliet' deserves the protection of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution, which guaranteed freedom of expression. Olivia Hussey, attorney for Leonard Whiting, said in a statement that she plans to pursue further lawsuits in federal court.

In late December of last year, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whitting filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, claiming $500 million in damages, alleging that a bed scene in "Romeo and Juliet" was filmed without prior notice.

Olivia Hussey was 15 and Leonard Whiting was 16 at the time the film was filmed. Through the complaint, the two claimed, "Franco Zeffirelli, who was in charge of the director, explained that he would shoot in skin-colored underwear, but he changed his words, saying that he would shoot with only simple makeup on his body on the actual set."

Not only that, but Franco Zeffirelli promised in advance that the cameras would be placed so that nudity would not be exposed, but in reality parts of the body such as the buttocks and breasts were exposed. He also said that he was pressured that the film would be ruined if he did not film the nude scene.

Reporter Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia kkk39@tenasia.co.kr