Hussey and Whiting, now 71 and 72, earlier this week filed suit against Paramount.
They alleged that Franco Zeffirelli violated their consent by filming them nude without their knowledge.
Hussey and Whiting were 15 and 16 years old at the time of filming.
Pippo ZeffirelliLaura Lezza/Getty Images
Zeffirelli died in 2019.
At 16, as actors, they took his lead that he would not violate that trust they had.
Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do?
There are no options.
There was no #MeToo.
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Countering those allegations was a statement released Friday by Pippo Zeffirelli.
He said the scene mentioned was far from pornographic.
Pippo Zeffirelli noted both actors praised the film as recently as thre years ago.
The lawsuit asks $500 million in damages.
The statute of limitations has now resumed in California.
Encino CA-based attorney Solomon Gresen is handling the case.
They would never work again in any profession, let alone Hollywood.
Paramount did not respond to request for comment from Deadline on the seven-claim suit.
Dominic Patten contributed to this report.
