Film director Franco Zeffirelli’s son Pippo has hit back at “Romeo and Juliet” actors Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, who filed a lawsuit alleging they were abused during the filming of the 1990s movie.
The show’s foundation said in a statement that it was “shameful” that the two had filed the suit despite the fame they enjoyed from starring in the film.
He also accused the actor of praising the film in the past in several interviews when his father was still alive. Hussey and Whiting’s attorneys and business managers have shared statements in support of their client’s claims.
Read on to know more,
‘It’s Embarrassing’
MEGA
Pippo’s statement to the press criticized the $500 million lawsuit Whiting and Hussey filed against Paramount Pictures just before New Year’s Eve.
The duo starred in the lead roles in the 1969 romantic film directed by Pippo’s father Franco, which received critical acclaim and won two Oscars upon its release.
“It is a shame to hear that today, 55 years after the shooting, two elderly actors who gained their fame essentially for this film woke up to declare that they had suffered “abuse” that caused them years of anxiety and emotional discomfort ,” answered Pippo. to claims, per Caretaker.
Pippo’s response to Whiting and Hussey’s allegations of abuse stemmed from both claims that Franco had tricked them into filming nude scenes using only body paint as cover after initially assuring them that the film would contain no nudity and only simple flesh-colored clothing.
Actors who were still teenagers at the time also claimed that portraying the iconic character caused them to lose several job opportunities, contrary to Pippo’s statement.
Pippo Zeffirelli Says Nude Scenes In ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Express Beauty
Instagram/oliviahusseyeisley
In his statement, Pippo also seemed to question the changes made by the stars after they had previously praised the romantic film in the past in numerous interviews in the years following its premiere.
He continued, “It seems to me that over the years, they have always maintained a relationship of deep gratitude and friendship towards [my father] Zeffirelli, released hundreds of interviews about the happy memories of their very lucky experience, which was crowned with success all over the world.”
Franco’s son also threw a subtle objection to Hussey, saying that the actor had left to work with his father in the nineties miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth.”
She previously insisted that her father was against pornography, rejecting the notion that nude scenes were added for obscene reasons.
“Zeffirelli himself was accused of backlash because, repeatedly, he spoke out against pornography,” Pippo said. “The nude images in the film express beauty, transference, I would even say mutual honesty and do not contain any bad feelings.”
‘Romeo and Juliet’ Actor Claims ‘They Were Violated’
Instagram/oliviahusseyeisley
While Pippo believes the accusations are baseless, Hussey and Whiting’s attorney, Solomon Gresen, claims that the late Zeffirelli “violated” his client.
“These were very young naive kids in the 60s who didn’t understand what was about to hit them,” he said in an interview, per Caretaker. “Suddenly, they’re famous on a level they never expected, and on top of that, they’re being violated in a way they don’t know how to deal with.”
Tony Marinozzi, who is managing the complainant, also told the publication that the deceased director had broken his client’s “trust”.
“What they were told and what happened are two different things,” he said. “They trust Franco. At the age of 16, as an actor, they took the lead that he would not violate the trust they had. Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what were they doing? No selection. No #MeToo.”
Franco Zeffirelli’s Past Allegations of Sexual Harassment
MEGA
Franco had previously made headlines for sexual misconduct following his death in 2019. At the time, Hollywood Reporter have interviewed the actors who proved that the late director had behaved inappropriately towards them.
One actor, Justin Vetrano, claimed that Franco had sexually harassed him, adding that the trauma of the incident caused him to quit his acting career.
“When I rejected him, he said I was nobody. I will never be a real artist. As a young actor, I believed what he told me,” Vetrano told the publication, per make decisions.
Another “Romeo and Juliet” star, Bruce Robinson, claimed that Franco made unwanted advances towards him while the movie was being filmed.
He claims that the filmmaker’s actions became the model for Uncle Monty, a rich old man who frequently and forcefully tries to initiate sex with unwilling people in the 1987 film “Withnail and I.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
