Twilight Director Was Worried Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s First Kiss Was “Illegal”

The director of Twilight has recently revealed that she was worried that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart’s first kiss was “illegal”. 

Catherine Hardwicke explained that because Stewart was under 18 at the time, which is the age of consent in LA, where the audition took place, she had some reservations about casting Pattinson in the role, who was already an adult in the eyes of California State Law.

"I could tell they had a lot of chemistry,” she said on The Big Hit Show podcast “and I’m like, ‘Oh my God’, I thought. Kristen was 17. I don’t want to get in some illegal things.” 

At the time of Pattinson’s audition, Stewart, who was 17, had already secured the role of Bella Swan. The Batman star, however, who ended up being cast as Edward Cullen, was 21.

Kristen Stewart starred alongside Robert Pattinson in Twilight (Britta Pedersen/DPA/PA Images)

California State Law states that it is "a sex crime for a person to engage in a lewd act with a minor child" under the age of 18 if they were "touching a child for sexual purposes, or causing a child to touch him/herself or someone else for a sexual purpose". The law does not state whether kissing could be classed under that act.

Hardwicke explained about the audition, which took place at her home in LA: "Rob and Kristen auditioned on my bed, the kissing scene, Rob was so into it he fell off the bed. I’m like, ‘Dude, calm down.’ And I’m in there filming with my little video camera, whatever.”

But despite the “illegal” age difference between the pair, Stewart was convinced that Pattinson needed to play as her co-star. 

The director did, however, warn Pattinson about the situation: "I told Rob, ‘By the way, Kristen is 17. In our country, it’s illegal to have a sexual…’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, OK, whatever.'"

The pair did, of course, go on to act together in the Twilight franchise, and even began dating in 2009, when Stewart was 19 and Pattinson was 23. 

The pair split in 2012 after rumours surfaced that the Spencer actor was cheating on Pattinson with Rupert Sanders, the director of Snow White and the Huntsman, which she starred in. 

After a brief reunion, the couple split permanently in 2013.

Stewart is now engaged to her girlfriend of two years, Dylan Meyer.