Is It Okay For Teens to Be in the Teen Nude Scene?

Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey first appeared as stars-crossed lovers Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey naked in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, sparking outrage from critics and audiences alike. At 15 and 16 at the time, these teenage actors stated in their lawsuit against Zeffirelli they had been promised that no nudity would be shown during a bedroom scene with flesh-colored undergarment used with camera angles to conceal nudity from Zeffirelli had changed his mind during shoot and pressured them into performing it or else their picture would fail, according to their lawsuit.

Last week, they filed suit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual exploitation as well as violations to laws against publishing nude images of children. They seek more than $500 Million in damages.

Adolescent sexting may not be as prevalent as reported by media headlines, yet it remains common. Teens frequently exchange nude or semi-nude photos or videos through text messaging and private social media messages intended for sharing only with romantic partners; however, these can often find their way into other people’s hands who were never part of the original exchange.

Even though Hollywood norms and laws regarding underage nudity have tightened significantly since 1976, when Playboy printed an issue featuring Brooke Shields naked at 10 years old as its cover image. People still ask whether it is acceptable for underage teens to appear in movies that portray them naked; or whether this would be inappropriate?