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‘Romeo & Juliet’ star Olivia Hussey dies at 73

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18 hours ago

December 28, 2024

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‘Romeo & Juliet’ star Olivia Hussey dies at 73

Olivia Hussey, who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968’s film “Romeo and Juliet,” has died, according to a statement posted on her official Instagram account. She was 73.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who went peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on December 27th,” the statement read. “Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.”

Hussey was born in Buenos Aires on April 17, 1951, and was 15 when she and Leonard Whiting starred in the 1968 Oscar-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet.”

Later in her career, Hussey also starred in the 1974 horror film “Black Christmas” and the 1978 Agatha Christie adaptation of “Death on the Nile.”

Larry Ellis/Express/Getty Images

(1967) British actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting join hands in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Hussey is survived by her children, Alex, Max and India, her grandson, Greyson, and her husband of 35 years, David Glen Eisley, the statement read.

“As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s enduring impact on our lives and the industry,” the statement read. “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul.”

In 2023, Hussey and Leonard Whitingfiled a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures for more than $500 million over a nude scene in the “Romeo & Juliet” film shot when they were teens. In the suit, both alleged sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud. The lawsuit was dismissed months later.