Michael Douglas has confirmed that he and Kathleen Turner had an affair while filming Romancing the Stone (1984) in Mexico, ending decades of speculation. The 82-year-old actor reveals the details in his new autobiography, One Helluva Ride, admitting he "fell hard" for the actress despite the pair having continually denied rumours of an affair.
Warning to actors
Douglas, who was married to Diandra Luker at the time, has issued a warning to fans and fellow actors about on-set relationships. "A lot of actors make the mistake early in their career of having a relationship with their leading lady," the A-lister said while promoting his memoir at the Royal Festival Hall in London. "What they forget is that you can break up. They're having to perform these love scenes, and they hate each other. We've all made that mistake, and I try to warn people."
In his autobiography, Douglas, now married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, recalled his initial attraction to Turner. "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."
Affair kept secret
According to the memoir, the affair was kept secret from director Robert Zemeckis and co-star Danny DeVito. Douglas wrote that he would sneak into Turner's room after long days on set without being noticed. He also described the state of his marriage at the time: "Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs... I left for Mexico still technically married, but separated."
The whirlwind romance came to an end when Diandra, with whom Douglas shares son Cameron, began to suspect something was happening. "Diandra grew suspicious," Douglas wrote. "A woman's intuition, I suppose."
Aftermath and later years
"After that visit, Kathleen and I ended things, and I went back to Diandra," he added. "I did it for Cameron, but we shouldn't have gotten back together. After that first split, it was never the same between us ever again."
By 2000, Douglas and Diandra had officially divorced, and he later married Catherine Zeta-Jones. The couple, married for 26 years, share a son, Dylan, and a daughter, Carys. Turner married Jay Weiss in 1984 and welcomed daughter Rachel Ann Weiss; they divorced in 2007.
Reacting to Douglas's memoir and admission, Turner told PEOPLE: "Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book."
