'Romeo and Juliet' director son hits out sexual abuse lawsuit

Romeo and Juliet filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli’s son Pippo Zeffirelli blasted film's stars Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting for underage nudity lawsuit.

According to Guardian, Zeffirelli. said the scene mentioned was “far from pornographic.”

“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.

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.”

Recently, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount, alleging that Franco Zeffirelli violated their consent by filming the famous nude scene without their knowledge.

At the time of the shooting, Hussey and Whiting were 15 and 16 years old, respectively, while Zeffirelli died in 2019.