Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting allege that a 2023 re-release manipulated a nude scene, causing a new offense not covered in the other lawsuit
Article published on October 21, 2024 in Rolling Stone, to read the original in English click here.
A second lawsuit filed by the stars of the 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Julietdirected by Franco Zeffirelliwas rejected in a California court on Monday, 21, after a judge said she found no difference between a reissue of the Criterion released on Blu-ray in 2023 and older versions of the film that were the subject of a previous lawsuit filed last year.
In her new ruling that the recent allegations have “no merit,” Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, Holly J. Fujierejected the actors’ claim Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting that the 2023 reissue was digitally enhanced in high definition in such a way that it transformed the famous “bedroom scene”, filmed when Hussey was 16 years old and Whiting 17, in a new misappropriation of his images, not covered by the rejection of the previous process. The scene in question shows Whiting and Husseyin the roles of Romeo and Julietlying together in bed, exchanging several lines and kissing. The naked buttocks of Whiting and the naked breasts of Husseyincluding her nipples and areolas, are briefly visible.
In a statement to the court signed in July, Hussey said he considered the scene “sexual abuse of minors” and “child pornography”. She also stated that she believes that the Paramount “orchestrated” the Blu-ray release “to embarrass her [em retaliação” por sua participação no processo anterior.
“A tentativa dos autores de distinguir o lançamento de 2023 dos lançamentos anteriores não tem fundamento”, escreveu a juÃza Fujie em sua decisão na segunda-feira. “Uma comparação do lançamento de 2023 com as versões anteriores não mostra melhora visÃvel significativa no filme, particularmente na cena do quarto, a olho nu. A falta de distinção perceptÃvel refuta a alegação dos autores.”
Source: Rollingstone
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