Art & Entertainment

Intimacy Coordinator Rules Tightened By SAG-AFTRA After Jenna Ortega-Martin Freeman Movie

Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has now set new standards a♊nd protocols for the intimacy coordinators.

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A still of Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman from 'Miller's Girl' Photo: Instagram
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An X-rated sex scene between Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman in 'Miller's Girl' stirred a massive controversy. Makers faced severe backlash showing intimacy between 21-year-old Ortega and Freeman, who is 52. Directed by Jade Bartlett, the film shows the relationship between an 18-yea﷽r-old student (played by Ortega), and her older teacher (played by Freeman). Social media users called the scene  "gross" and "uncomfortable".

Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has now set new standards and protocols for the intimacy coordinators as to when they are permitted to speak publicly about actors' work. This decision has come after the interview of Kristina Arjona, inജtimacy coordinator of 'Miller's Girl'. She had told the Daily Mail that Ortega was fully comfortable with the scene.

SAG-AFTRA, in its new rules has ensured that actors' "confidentiality" should be kept in mind especially when intimacy coordinators have a professionalꦍ need to speak about intimate scenes publicly.

A spokesperson for SAG-AFT꧃RA, told Deadline, "Intimacy coordinators are a crucial resource on any set to ensure the protection of our members w🔜orking in intimate scenes''.

Kristina Arjonam while speaking to The Daily Mail told in detail about the processes ꧒on set and said that the costars were "comfortable" while filming. She said, "There [were] many, many people throughout this process engaging with [Ortega] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what s♏he wanted to do''.

Arjona also said that the role of an intimacy coordinator is to sup♊port her actors "decisions" and "adapt to whꦯatever is the comfort level of my actors."

She further said, "Especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors," and﷽ added, "I'm hyper aware of both of my talent and making sure that we're consistently checking in and that 𓆉at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed."

As per Deadline, the new rules by SAG-AFTRA also states that if an intimacy coordinator fail🍸s to adhere to the protocols, he or she "could potentially" be removed from SAG-AFTRA's registry.