Olivia Hussey, star of Romeo and Juliet and Black Christmas, dies aged 73

Olivia Hussey, who starred as a teenage Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, garnering her a Golden Globe, died peacefully at her home on Friday at age 73, her family has announced.

“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” her family said in a statement posted to her Instagram account. “Olivia lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals.

“As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s enduring impact on our lives and the industry.”

Buenos Aires-born Hussey was 15 when she and her co-lead Leonard Whiting starred in the Oscar-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy.

In 2023, the two actors filed a lawsuit against the studio alleging child abuse over a controversial nude scene featuring Hussey and Whiting, who were 15 and 16 respectively at the time.

They alleged that they were initially told they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. 

They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge.

The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late.

Whiting was among those paying tribute to Hussey on Saturday. 

“Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now,” he wrote. 

“And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever.”