Written and directed by Jade Halley Bartlett, Miller’s Girl is an erotic thriller starring Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman. The movie follows the story of a student who embarks on a creative writing journey after her teacher assigns a project which eventually leads to them being involved in a complicated relationship.
As the story moves, the student-teachers are forced to confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their sense of purpose and the things that they hold close. The movie was released in January 2024 and has been a part of a bigger conversation especially due to the NSFW scenes involving young actress Jenna Ortega and 52-year-old Martin Freeman.
SAG-AFTRA tightens rules for Intimacy Coordinators post Jenna Ortega’s Miller’s Girl controversy
According to Deadline, SAG-AFTRA has updated its guidelines for the use of intimacy coordinators while filming. The updated guidelines from the Guild come after it was reported that intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona who had been involved with Miller’s Girl which stars Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman had spoken to a tabloid about the process of filming NSFW scenes for the movie.
Arjona had reportedly signed a confidentiality contract with Lionsgate as an employee for the movie as well as an NDA, however, she seemingly disregarded the documents and had spoken to the tabloid. The updated guidelines from SAG-AFTRA states,
“Intimacy coordinators are a crucial resource on any set to ensure the protection of our members working in intimate scenes. 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.”
The guidelines lastly added that the public release of the details about the actor’s involvement in a particular scene while filming by the intimacy coordinator is unacceptable, especially without the actor’s consent. The movie Miller’s Girl has been a part of public scrutiny, especially for a scene involving 21-year-old Ortega and 52-year-old Freeman engaging in a sexual moment.
Kristina Arjona defends Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman’s NSFW scene in Miller’s Girl
Intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona, before the updated guidelines were shared had spoken to Daily Mail where she went ahead to share how Jenna Ortega was part of the discussion for NSFW content. She said,
“There were 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 continued to explain that as a part of her job as an intimacy coordinator, she had to support Ortega’s decision adding that she has to adapt to whatever the actors are comfortable with. She added,
“Especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between actors, I’m hyper aware of both my talent and making sure that we’re consistently checking in and that at no point are any of their boundaries being surpassed. And again, making sure—especially with someone who is significantly younger—that they are giving continuous consent.”
Kristina Arjona has also worked with stars like Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon. She lastly added that she had conversations with both Ortega and Freeman about the use of modesty garments and barriers to ensure that they maintained an appropriate distance. Arjona confirmed that if the actors at any point feel discomfort, they could change their minds.
Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman have not yet spoken on the situation.
Miller’s Girl is now available to stream on VOD on Prime Video.
