Michael Douglas Avoided David Letterman for 18 Years Over Joke About His Mother
The actor revealed in his memoir that a 'nasty' segment involving his mother, Diana Dill, led him to decline numerous invitations to appear on the talk show.
Michael Douglas refused to appear on David Letterman's talk show for nearly two decades after feeling the host made fun of his mother, Diana Dill. The revelation comes from Douglas's new book, "One Helluva Ride."
Douglas, 82, stated in his memoir that he felt Letterman "went too far" during an appearance when a commercial featuring his mother was aired without warning. He described the segment as "making fun of my mother" and characterized Letterman's humor in that instance as having a "real nasty sense of humor."
The actor had been a regular guest on Letterman's show earlier in his career. However, following the 1985 appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," where the clip of his mother was shown, Douglas declined invitations to return for 18 years. This included personal letters of apology from Letterman himself.
"My feelings didn't change," Douglas wrote. "He had crossed a line."
Douglas's perspective shifted in 2010 after his cancer diagnosis. He felt it was time to "bury the hatchet" with the host. During a 2010 appearance on the show, Douglas recounted that Letterman was "respectful" and asked "sincere and sympathetic questions" about his health. "It felt so nice to clear the air with Dave," Douglas stated, adding that he realized "life is too short to hold on to feuds."
Douglas wrote that letting go of grudges felt like "more of a favor to myself than to Dave" and that he was "done with revenge."
His mother, Diana Dill, passed away in July 2015 at the age of 92 after a battle with cancer. Douglas appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" in December 1985 and later on five episodes of Letterman's CBS show in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014, according to IMDb.
