The Los Angeles County District Court said Thursday, May 25, 2023, that it will dismiss the lawsuit filed by the stars of the movie “Romeo and Juliet”of 1968, for the film’s nude scene, ruling that their depiction could not be considered child pornography and that they filed their lawsuit too late.

High Court judge Alison Mackenzie ruled to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Olivia Hussey, who played Juliet aged 15 and is now 72, and Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo.

The actors’ attorney has appealed the decision and said the actors plan to file a new lawsuit in federal court.

“We strongly believe that the exploitation and sexualisation of minors in the film industry must be addressed and dealt with legally to protect vulnerable people from harm and ensure that existing laws are enforced“, the actor’s lawyer said in a statement.

Director Franco Zeffirelliwho died in 2019, initially told the two actors that they would wear underwear for the particular bedroom scene, which took place in the final days of filming, the suit claims.

However, on the morning of filming, the director told the two then-underage actors that they would wear only body makeup, while still assuring them that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show them naked, according to the lawsuit.

Despite those assurances, nothing the director told them was followed, according to the lawsuit. The actors appeared nude without knowing it, in violation of California and federal laws against public indecency and child exploitation, their lawsuit alleges.

Zeffirelli told them they would have to play naked, “otherwise the film would fail” and their reputation would take a heavy blow. The actors “believed they had no choice but to act naked with body makeup as the director demanded».

The actors stressed that they still suffer physical and mental pain from the incident. “We have waited so many years for justice to be served“, they said in a statement. “Guess we’ll have to wait longer…».