Michael Douglas Confirms Decades-Old Affair With Kathleen Turner
The acclaimed actor detailed the secret relationship with his 'Romancing the Stone' co-star in his upcoming memoir.
Michael Douglas has confirmed a long-standing rumor that he had an affair with actress Kathleen Turner while filming the 1984 adventure film "Romancing the Stone." The revelation comes from Douglas's upcoming memoir, titled "One Helluva Ride."
Douglas, 82, wrote in an excerpt obtained by People that he and Turner were "instantly attracted to each other" during the filming of the movie. At the time, Douglas was married to Diandra Luker, and he stated that "things at home were in a bad place" with both he and Luker engaged in extramarital affairs.
Despite public speculation for years that they were a couple, Douglas and Turner had consistently denied any romantic involvement, even when reuniting for the sequel "The Jewel of the Nile" and later in the television series "The Kominsky Method."
"The truth is that during the production of Romancing the Stone, Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship," Douglas wrote. He described the affair as something that "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."
Douglas and Turner reportedly kept their relationship secret for 40 years, intending to protect Luker and their son, Cameron. Douglas noted that they would maintain the illusion of their on-screen characters falling in love while their real-life chemistry also developed.
The affair ended after Luker visited the set with their son, making it clear to Turner that Douglas and Luker were still married. Luker filed for divorce in 1995, and the divorce was finalized in 2000. Douglas married Catherine Zeta-Jones in November 2000.
Turner responded to Douglas's confession in a statement to People, saying, "Good heavens what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael and I look forward to enjoying the book."
"Romancing the Stone" starred Turner as Joan Wilder, a romance novelist who travels to Colombia and encounters Jack Colton, played by Douglas, a charming adventurer. The film was a commercial success and led to the 1985 sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile."