Michael Douglas Recounts Near-Fatal Accidents, Death Threats, and Father's Wrath in Memoir

In his explosive memoir, "One Helluva Ride," Michael Douglas, 82, pulls back the curtain on a career and life marked by near-fatal accidents, credible threats, and profound family struggles. The actor, who has long grappled with living in the shadow of his legendary father, Kirk Douglas, reveals a series of harrowing incidents that plagued his filmmaking endeavors.

Douglas recounts a dramatic close call on his first day of filming "The Streets of San Francisco." While performing a driving scene with co-star Karl Malden, Douglas failed to map the route and drove the car airborne, narrowly avoiding a serious accident. "We touched down and I slammed on the brakes, wheels squealing. I thought, 'Oh, my God! I'm gonna get fired the very first day,'" Douglas wrote, recalling Malden's calm response: "Well, this is going to be an interesting series. I'm going back to my trailer to change my underwear."

His burgeoning career also brought significant danger. Douglas revealed that he was targeted by the notorious Death Angels gang, prompting him to have undercover police officers on set and occasionally wear a bulletproof vest. The threat left him and his then-girlfriend Brenda Vaccaro terrified but unharmed.

The acclaimed actor also detailed the painful experience of firing his own father, Kirk Douglas, from the project "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." The film, acquired through Kirk's company Bryna Productions, had been in development for 13 years. When the crew deemed Kirk, then 57, too old for the lead role, Michael was tasked with delivering the news, a moment he described as "one of the hardest moments of my life." His father's ensuing rage and feelings of betrayal deeply affected him.

The production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" itself was not without incident. The use of real mental health patients as extras in a medium-security ward led to an accident where a patient jumped out of a second-story window, breaking his collarbone, after a crew member's flippant remark. Actor Danny DeVito also experienced anxiety and developed an imaginary friend due to the intensive filming schedule and separation from his future wife.

Further on-set calamities marked Douglas's career. During the filming of "Romancing The Stone," an alligator slipped its wiring and bit its trainer, whose hand was saved by his Rolex watch. Douglas himself was struck twice in the face by the crocodile's tail. The sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile," filmed in Morocco, was marred by tragedy when a pre-production scouting flight crashed, killing several crew members. Douglas called this "the saddest and most horrible moment of my career."

The production in Morocco faced further extortionate demands from authorities, including a demand for $2 million to avoid a six-week quarantine due to a declared hepatitis outbreak, which Douglas believed was fabricated. The cast and crew ultimately fled the country on a cargo plane.

Douglas also admitted to accidentally giving his "Fatal Attraction" co-star Glenn Close a concussion during a scene where he slammed her against a wall. He later received a second credible threat to his life in 1992 at the Oscars, where the FBI informed him of a plot to stab him with an HIV-infected needle.

Personal struggles also feature prominently in the memoir. In 1992, Douglas entered rehab for alcohol and substance abuse, a decision prompted by his first wife, Diandra Luker, who gave him an ultimatum: rehab or divorce. He candidly discusses his past drug use, including sharing drugs with O.J. Simpson and a drunken incident at a Golden Globes party involving Julia Roberts.

His addiction struggles were mirrored by his eldest son, Cameron, who battled heroin addiction and served prison time for drug trafficking charges. Douglas revealed he maintained distance from Cameron during his incarceration, though he later rebuilt their relationship.

Douglas also addressed long-standing rumors about his love life, admitting for the first time to an affair with his "Romancing The Stone" co-star Kathleen Turner while married to Diandra Luker. He also details his eventual marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones, their brief separation, and reconciliation, emphasizing the work required in a long-term marriage.

Despite the public nature of his life and career, Douglas rejects the term "nepo baby," criticizing it as "snotty" and arguing that parental support is common across industries. He states that he and his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, would be the first to encourage their children to pursue different paths if they weren't suited for the entertainment industry.