Screen Actors Guild changes rules after controversial sex scene in Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman movie

The Screen Actors Guild may be tightening the rules around intimacy coordinators after a discussion about the details behind a controversial sex scene between Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega.

The 52 and 21-year-old actors star in Miller's Girl, a film about a teacher getting into a relationship with his much younger student.

The film has proved controversial as Ortega's character is 18 and some have criticised the age gap while others have said that feeling disgusted about it is likely the point of the movie.

As for the reason Miller's Girl has prompted a rule change from SAG-AFTRA, according to Deadline it's because the film's intimacy coordinator discussed details of certain parts of the shoot to the press.

Intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona told the Daily Mail about working on Miller's Girl and shared information on how some of the movie's more controversial scenes were made.

Lionsgate

"There was many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do," Arjona said of the Miller's Girl intimate scenes.

The intimacy coordinator said Ortega and Freeman were consistently checked upon to make sure they did not feel as though their boundaries were being breached.

According to Arjona, the leading stars of the film were in discussion over the 'level of nudity' and 'additional barriers' that would be in place for the intimate scenes.

She said there were discussions with the movie's cast and crew, as well as with test audiences as to whether what ended up on screen was 'too much'.

However, as Deadline reports the SAG-AFTRA has said: "Intimacy coordinators should maintain the confidentiality of an actor’s work and experience in performing highly sensitive scenes unless they have the actor’s permission to publicly share this information."

Lionsgate

There are reasons an intimacy coordinator might have to speak about what went on during intimate scenes they were involved with.

But without the consent of the actors involved in the scene talking about what happened is not allowed.

As for the Screen Actor's Guild guidelines on the role of an intimacy coordinator, it says maintaining confidentiality is part of the job.

It explains: "The public release of details about an actor’s scene work or confidences entrusted to the intimacy coordinator without the performer’s consent is unacceptable."

In the past other intimacy coordinators have spoken out about movies they've worked on, but talking without the consent of the actors involved is a big no-no.

LADbible has contacted SAG-AFTRA and Kristina Arjona for comment.

Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Jenna Ortega, Martin Freeman

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

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