Michael Douglas Recounts Near-Death Cult Encounter

Michael Douglas recounted a harrowing encounter with a cult that threatened to "eliminate" him during an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience." The 82-year-old actor described the incident, which occurred during a dinner invitation from the cult members.

Douglas explained that the group invited him for dinner, along with a female companion, stating they had been trying to reach him. During the meal, as dessert was served, the members told Douglas, "We've been trying to reach you, and you just don't get it. You don't get it. So, you're going to have to be eliminated."

When Rogan inquired what Douglas didn't understand, the actor clarified that the cult wanted him to "join, to give yourself up, to be part of it." Douglas recalled a moment of silence followed by the cult members confirming, "Yeah," when he asked if they were going to kill him. He stated that his "girlfriend just started falling apart, peeing in her pants and all that."

Douglas recounted that he and his companion feared they were going to be killed. However, instead of being harmed, he was permitted to leave. "Then I said, 'I'm going to leave now,' and they said, 'Yeah, you better,'" Douglas recalled. He described the experience as strange, noting that a feeling of numbness came over him, leaving him frozen.

When asked to identify the cult, Douglas named it as being led by Mel Lyman and stated that he alerted the police after the incident. The actor also discussed his time living in a commune in Santa Barbara during his youth, describing it as an organic community called Mountain Drive.

Douglas' memoir, "One Helluva Ride," details his life experiences, including past struggles with addiction, secret affairs, and difficult family dynamics. He wrote about his father, Kirk Douglas, describing him as a flawed man with a volatile temper and intense ambition. The memoir also touches upon the dark period of his son Cameron Douglas' addiction, including an attempt by Michael Douglas to forcibly send Cameron to rehab. Cameron Douglas later served seven years in prison for a federal drug case, with his sentence extended due to a relapse in prison. He endured further time in solitary confinement.