Michael Douglas has drawn criticism from people close to him after revealing intimate details about his relationships with several famous women in his new memoir, “One Helluva Ride.”
The 82-year-old actor’s disclosures include romances with Kathleen Turner, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Brenda Vaccaro, alongside personal details about his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones.
However, a source close to Michael Douglas says the revelations have surprised friends who believe the veteran actor has taken an unusually sensational approach to telling his life story.
Friends Question Michael Douglas’ ‘Shocking’ Decision To Reveal Intimate Details
Douglas, the son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, has enjoyed a career spanning decades, earning an Academy Award for “Wall Street” and producing the acclaimed film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
His latest book offers an account of his professional achievements, relationships, and personal struggles.
But some people in his circle are reportedly questioning why the actor has devoted so much attention to his romantic history, particularly when his career offers plenty of other material.
“Dishing about how he bedded such stars as Brenda Vaccaro, Kathleen Turner and Jeanne Tripplehorn – and even his own wife Catherine Zeta-Jones – is kind of a desperate move,” a source told the Daily Mail.
The insider also questioned whether the women involved felt entirely comfortable with the disclosures.
“It’s shocking he has written so much about the women he has slept with, it seems distasteful even if he got permission from the women. Michael is still very powerful in Hollywood, so I wonder if they felt like they couldn’t say no,” the source noted.
The Sexual Tone Of The Memoir Has Stunned Many In The Actor’s Inner Circle As He’s ‘Normally A Class Act’
The Daily Mail source noted that Douglas was usually regarded as a gentleman, making the memoir’s candid tone particularly surprising to those who know him.
The actor had previously explained that he wanted to tell his story on his own terms. When announcing the book, he described it as a raw account of his life, following years of requests to write his memoir.
According to the insider, however, some friends believe the finished book has taken a tabloid-style approach to his personal history.
“Michael is normally a class act, he is very much a gentleman with great manners,” the source said, describing his social circle as including accomplished figures outside the entertainment industry.
The source questioned whether the actor’s decision reflected pressure to produce a commercially successful memoir or a desire to attract renewed attention.
“Michael wants to be in the news. Sure, he is a nice guy, but he also has a massive ego and wants to stay in the spotlight, he cares about his legacy and being an icon,” the source claimed.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones said she “lucked out big time” with Michael Douglas
- Michael Douglas claimed he was once bitten in the arm by Debra Winger.
- How Douglas’ “Basic Instinct” affair was hidden in plain sight.
- Douglas and Zeta-Jones were allegedly “furious” over son’s CNN humiliation.
- Douglas’ son was reportedly too “spooked” to return to CNN after bombing on air.
- The actor addressed his brief split with Zeta-Jones after they faced “problems.”
Michael Douglas’ Kathleen Turner Affair Was Clarified In The Memoir After Four Decades
One of the memoir’s most notable revelations concerns Douglas’s relationship with Kathleen Turner while they filmed the 1984 romantic adventure “Romancing the Stone.”
Douglas wrote that he was immediately attracted to Turner, describing her as “smart, funny and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature.”
He explained that their relationship developed through the close working conditions, pressure, and mutual respect they experienced during production.
“It wasn’t a fly-by-night affair,” he wrote, explaining that their connection grew naturally as they worked together.
The actor also disclosed that he had been involved with screenwriter Diane Thomas before his relationship with Turner. At the time, Douglas was still married to his first wife, Diandra Luker.
Their clandestine relationship ended after Luker arrived in Mexico with their son, Cameron. Now, Douglas’ decision to revisit the affair publicly has raised eyebrows, particularly because he was married when it began.
Turner, however, appeared untroubled by the revelation. Speaking to People Magazine, she dismissed the attention surrounding the decades-old story, saying, “Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book.”
Sources Claim Michael Douglas’ Influence In Hollywood May Have Pressured His Past Co-Stars To Approve Of The Stories
Douglas also disclosed that his relationship with “Basic Instinct” co-star Jeanne Tripplehorn was more intimate than audiences might have assumed.
While viewers associated the 1992 thriller with his on-screen chemistry with Sharon Stone, the actor wrote that he had fallen deeply for Tripplehorn during filming.
“I was crazy about her,” he wrote, describing his feelings for the actress, who was nearly 20 years younger than him.
Douglas told Page Six that he had spoken to Tripplehorn before including their relationship in the memoir and that she was fine with the disclosure.
However, the Daily Mail’s source questioned whether the actress might have felt pressure to approve the story because Douglas remains influential and powerful in Hollywood.
“I am sure Jeanne approved of him writing about their romance on ‘Basic Instinct’ because she wants to be in his good graces as he still works all the time, but I wonder if she is OK with it. She is a very nice, generous woman, so maybe she really is fine with it,” said the source.
Michael Douglas Shared Details About His Early Courtship Of Wife Catherine Zeta-Jones
In his new memoir, Douglas got candid about his relationship with his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he first met in 1998. The book recounts their early courtship, including the actor’s admission that he was immediately smitten with the Welsh actress.
“In a moment of temporary insanity, I blurted out: ‘I’m going to be the father of your children,’” Douglas recalled of their first meeting.
He described their relationship as a slower courtship than he was accustomed to, explaining that he wanted to build something lasting with Zeta-Jones rather than treat her as another former girlfriend.
“As Catherine said, I didn’t want her to become just another ex-girlfriend on my list, and she didn’t want Michael Douglas to become just another ex-boyfriend on hers,” he wrote.
Douglas also revealed that he had been seeing five other women while separated from his first wife and called each of them to end those relationships after deciding to pursue a monogamous relationship with Zeta-Jones.
“I made sure they all lived in different cities, which felt like a respectful way to be nonmonogamous,” he wrote, adding that he told each woman he had met someone and could no longer continue seeing them.
The Michael Douglas’ Friends Turn On The Actor Over ‘Distasteful’ Tell-All Sex Memoir As He Is ‘Normally A Class Act’ first appeared on The Blast