Michael Douglas Details Decades of Infidelity and On-Set Affairs in New Memoir
The 84-year-old actor opens up about his romantic past, including a teenage relationship and numerous relationships during his marriages.
Michael Douglas, 84, has detailed a lifetime of romantic conquests in his new memoir, "One Helluva Ride." The book recounts numerous affairs, including at least five on-set flings with co-stars and a teenage relationship he described as his own "Mrs. Robinson" experience.
Douglas stated in his memoir that he initially blamed his parents' divorce on his father Kirk's infidelity. However, he acknowledges a similar pattern in his own life, becoming known for his womanizing ways from a young age.
He recalled being a "late bloomer" whose "hormones were raging" and attracting attention from girls in junior high. After his freshman year of college, Douglas began a relationship with a family friend, a romance that lasted a couple of years. He described her as a "beautiful and sophisticated woman" who "taught me a lot about women and what women liked."
His early romantic exploits continued in a Santa Barbara college commune. After a girlfriend left him for another man, Douglas began a relationship with her roommate.
During his dating life in college, Douglas also dated Aspen socialite Nancy Pfister, who was tragically murdered in 2014.
Douglas's memoir also details affairs with several actresses. He had a "passionate affair" with married actress Lee Purcell while filming "Adam at 6 A.M." in 1970. The following year, he met and fell in love with Brenda Vaccaro on the set of "Summertree." Their relationship ended after six years when Vaccaro began an affair with actor Don Stroud.
He met Diandra Luker at a pre-inaugural party for President Jimmy Carter and they married within eight weeks in 1977. The couple had a son, Cameron, the following year. Despite his marriage, Douglas admitted to an affair with screenwriter Diane Thomas while working on "Romancing The Stone." He also revealed a decades-long rumored affair with co-star Kathleen Turner during the filming of "The Jewel of the Nile," which they both denied at the time.
While working on "Basic Instinct," Douglas had an affair with co-star Jeanne Tripplehorn, not Sharon Stone as widely speculated. The intimacy between Douglas and Tripplehorn reportedly made filming their love scenes challenging.
In 1992, Douglas entered rehab for drug and alcohol addiction after Diandra caught him being unfaithful. The couple divorced in 1995. Douglas then spent time with several women, including New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, with whom he has remained friends.
Douglas met Catherine Zeta-Jones in 1998 on the set of "The Mask of Zorro" and stated, "I’m going to be the father of your children" within moments of meeting her. They married in 2000 and have two children, Dylan and Carys. The couple separated briefly in 2013 but reconciled within a year. Douglas stated, "Marriage is a lot of work... we’re good. We’re in good shape."
The couple will celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary next month.