Michael Douglas has revealed that he had a relationship with actress Kathleen Turner while they were filming the 1984 movie Romancing the Stone, after denying it for decades. The disclosure appears in his new memoir, One Helluva Ride.
In an excerpt published by People magazine, the 82-year-old actor says he and Turner, now 72, fell for each other while making the blockbuster in Mexico. At the time, he was separated from his then-wife Diandra Douglas, with whom he shares son Cameron.
What Douglas Wrote
Writing in the memoir, Douglas said: “Kathleen was smart, funny, and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature. I instantly liked her, and we were immediately attracted to each other. Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs, including my recent romance with Diane Thomas [Romancing the Stone’s screenwriter].
“The chemistry I had with Kathleen Turner was so strong, audiences have been certain for years that we were in a relationship together while making the film. We both denied it through Romancing The Stone, Jewel of the Nile, War of the Roses, and even while doing press a few years ago for The Kominsky Method.”
The Truth and Its Aftermath
Douglas then adds that the story they came up with about both being “terrible flirts” when working together was “a lie”. He writes that the lie was aimed at protecting Diandra and his son: “The truth is that during the production of Romancing the Stone, Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship. It wasn’t a fly-by night affair; it grew naturally from how closely we were working together.”
In an age before camera phones and social media gossip, Douglas reveals he was able to sneak into Turner’s hotel room late at night when the pair became lovers. However, the relationship was short-lived: during filming, Diandra brought Cameron to Mexico. Sensing their chemistry, Diandra also spoke with Turner, reminded her that Douglas was married, and she backed off. Despite the friction, Douglas and Turner repaired their friendship and went on to work together on more films, including the follow-up Jewel Of The Nile and War of the Roses in 1989.
Douglas's Career and Book
Douglas’s new book covers his Hollywood career, which includes hits such as Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, Falling Down, Behind the Candelabra, and perhaps most famously Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, which won him an Oscar. He is also married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the pair share two children.
On the book’s sleeve, he writes: "I spent a significant portion of my career playing some version of the modern, flawed, American male. You'll see from these pages that it wasn't exactly a stretch for me." One Helluva Ride by Michael Douglas is released on October 6, published by Headline.
