Michael Douglas is confirming a long-rumored romance with his “Romancing the Stone” co-star Kathleen Turner after spending decades denying the two were ever involved.
Douglas, 82, reveals the relationship in his new memoir, “One Helluva Ride,” according to PEOPLE.
Douglas Opens Up on the Romance
The two-time Oscar winner writes that he and Turner, now 72, fell for each other while filming the 1984 action-comedy in Mexico.
At the time, Douglas was separated from his then-wife, Diandra Douglas, with whom he shares son Cameron. Douglas was also a producer on “Romancing the Stone,” which follows romance novelist Joan Wilder, played by Turner, as she travels to Colombia to rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of adventurer Jack Colton, played by Douglas.
Douglas initially wanted Debra Winger to play Joan, but after that did not work out, he met Turner for lunch to discuss the role. She eventually landed the part, and Douglas says they were immediately attracted to each other.
“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.”
Douglas writes that his marriage was already struggling when he left for Mexico. He and Diandra were separated, and both were having extramarital affairs. Douglas also had recently been involved with Diane Thomas, the screenwriter of “Romancing the Stone.”
“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,” Douglas writes.
The pair repeatedly denied those rumors over the years, including while promoting Romancing the Stone, its 1985 sequel “The Jewel of the Nile,” 1989’s “The War of the Roses” and, decades later, “The Kominsky Method.”
Douglas now says their denials were not truthful.
“That was a lie,” he writes. “It was a lie meant to protect my wife and son, a lie we told the world for 40 years.”
Turner had also previously described the attraction between them without confirming they had acted on it. During a PEOPLE interview several years ago, she said, “Oh I was yearning, babe, but he was still married… It was that wonderful sexual tension, you know? When you really, really know you want somebody — and I’m saying it went both ways — and you can’t have them…”
The Two Have Remained Friends
Douglas says the relationship eventually became more than attraction.
“The truth is that during the production of Romancing the Stone, Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship,” he writes. “It wasn’t a fly-by night affair; it grew naturally from how closely we were working together, how much pressure we were under, how much we respected and cared for one another, and how attracted we were to each other.”
The actor recalls sneaking into Turner’s hotel room after long days of filming while they worked to keep their relationship private. He writes that even director Bob Zemeckis and co-star Danny DeVito were unaware.
The romance ended after Diandra brought Cameron to Mexico. Douglas says Diandra became suspicious and reminded Turner that they were still married. Turner, he writes, did not want to interfere.
Douglas ultimately returned to Diandra for the sake of their son, though he says their marriage was never the same.
Douglas and Turner continued working together after their romance ended, reuniting for “The War of the Roses” and later “The Kominsky Method.” Their friendship has endured, and Douglas says he asked Turner for permission before including their story in his memoir.
Douglas has been married to Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000.
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Michael Douglas Confirms Romance With Kathleen Turner After 40 Years of Denials