Michael Douglas pushed back against a long-running rumor that he once entered rehab for sex addiction during a tense interview tied to the release of his new memoir.
Douglas, 82, discussed the book with London’s The Sunday Times in a profile published Sunday, October 4. The article referenced an excerpt from One Helluva Ride, in which the actor wrote that he ended relationships “with five women” before committing to his now-wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones.
“No, no, it’s not what it was,” Douglas said. “What Catherine said is, if we’re going to continue this, then I want it to be monogamous. And so I therefore, that evening, you know, made some calls to some people I was seeing, and that was that.”
The reporter noted that, during the pause that followed, Douglas appeared to believe he had just corrected the characterization. The actor also rejected the suggestion that he had slept “with so many women,” saying he did not “see it that way.”
Celebrities including Michael Douglas and Debbie Turner built successful Hollywood careers before eventually leaving acting behind. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive […]
“No, not me, no. I was a healthy product of the ’60s,” he said. “My curiosity is why, of all countries, of all the press that I do, why are the Brits so consumed with the issues of sex?”
According to the profile, the writer described Douglas’ tone as “accusatory.” The interview became more strained when he was asked about a rumor that he had gone to rehab for sex addiction in the 1990s. Douglas firmly denied it.
“A British tabloid editor came up with this story, which, thank you very much, here we are talking about at 82,” Douglas replied. “It happens with the tabloids and, well, I won’t blame your country alone, but you’re probably better known for it than most. It wasn’t true.”
The Sunday Times also cited a passage from the memoir in which Douglas wrote that he “was never a f**king sex addict.” In another section, he recalled his brief separation from Zeta-Jones, 57, in 2013.
Asked how he “won her back,” Douglas replied, “It was a mutual. … You know, we had our problems, but I love her dearly and, 25 years, you know.”
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The reporter again observed that Douglas narrowed his eyes during the exchange.
“I mean, I don’t know about your marital status, but marriage is a lot of work,” he added. “And so, you know, we’re good. We’re in good shape. It’s all I can say.”
Elsewhere in One Helluva Ride, Douglas revealed that he secretly dated his Romancing the Stone costar Kathleen Turner after the pair met while making the 1984 adventure film.
Michael Douglas is opening up publicly about his past relationship with Romancing the Stone costar Kathleen Turner. In an excerpt from his memoir, One Helluva Ride, Douglas, 82, wrote that he and Turner, 72, secretly dated after meeting on the film’s set. “Kathleen was smart, funny and sexy with a deep, […]
“The chemistry I had with Kathleen Turner was so strong, audiences have been certain for years that we were in a relationship together while making the film,” he wrote. “We both denied it through Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile [in 1985], War of the Roses [in 1989], and even while doing press a few years ago for The Kominsky Method [in 2021].”
He continued, “The truth is that during the production of Romancing the Stone, Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship. It wasn’t a fly-by-night affair; it grew naturally from how closely we were working together, how much pressure we were under, how much we respected and cared for one another, and how attracted we were to each other.”
Douglas wrote that the relationship with Turner “never hit a rough spot.”
“We found each other first as friends, then as costars, and finally, as lovers,” he recalled. “Following an exhausting day of shooting in the jungle, we’d go out and have a meal, or head out with the group and afterward I would sneak into her hotel room after everybody was asleep. There were no cameras in elevators, no assistants using cell phones to take pictures. As [our characters] Jack and Joan were falling in love, Kathleen and I were keeping the chemistry alive. We kept our involvement hidden.”
Turner, 72, later addressed Douglas’ revelation about their relationship.
“Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago!” she told People in a statement. “I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book.”