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A lawsuit filed by the lead actors of the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet" against the film company has been dismissed, claiming that they were sexually exploited during filming.
According to The New York Times on the 25th (local time), Judge Allison Mackenzie of the Los Angeles County Superior Court in the United States dismissed a lawsuit filed by Olivia Hasse (72), who played Juliet in the movie, and Leonard Whiting (72), who played Romeo, against the production company Paramount Pictures.
In her decision, Justice Mackenzie said that the scene in question, in which the two actors alleged sexual exploitation, did not constitute child pornography and was protected under the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech and press. It also noted that "[the actors] failed to provide any evidence that the film was sexually sexually suggestive enough to violate the law."
The lawyers for the two actors strongly condemned the court's decision to dismiss the case and said they plan to file additional lawsuits soon. In a statement, the lawyer stressed that "a legal solution must be brought to the fore against the exploitation of minors and the commodification of sex in the film industry."
Hasse and Whiting were minors at the time of filming "Romeo and Juliet," at the time of filming, at the age of 1 and 15, respectively. They said that director Franco Zeffirelli would wear skin-colored underwear before filming, but on the day of the shoot, he said, "You have to act naked. Otherwise, the film will be ruined." In addition, the company filed a lawsuit against the production company, Paramount, seeking more than $16 million in damages.
In addition, Zeffirelli promised the actors in advance that he would "place the camera so that they don't show their naked bodies," but in reality, they captured body parts on camera, such as buttocks and breasts. The finished version of the film also included a scene in which body parts were exposed without the consent of the two actors.
(SBS Entertainment News reporter Kim Ji-hye)