Millions of viewers were captivated by the unmistakable sexual chemistry between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in the classic romantic adventure Romancing The Stone.
Yet for decades, Douglas, who was married during filming, rejected persistent claims that he and his co-star had embarked on a passionate affair behind the scenes.
Turner, then single but dating property tycoon Jay Weiss—whom she would later marry—also repeatedly denied the allegations. The rumours intensified so much that Douglas’s then-wife, Diandra, reportedly flew to the Mexican set to confront Turner.
Now, four decades after the 1984 blockbuster, Douglas, 82, has apparently revealed the truth. The actor, who has been married to Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000, has finally addressed the long-running speculation.
In his memoir One Helluva Ride, Douglas says he and Turner, now 72, were overcome by “lust” almost immediately. “Kathleen was smart, funny and sexy, with a deep sultry voice that became her signature,” he writes. “I instantly liked her and we were immediately attracted to each other.”
Douglas had been married to model Diandra Luker since 1977, and the couple had a young son, Cameron. The Fatal Attraction star says their marriage was already struggling at the time. “Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs,” he writes. “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 brief fling. It developed naturally from the intensity of working so closely together, the pressure we were under, the respect and affection we shared, and the attraction between us.”
“Like every other guy in the world at the time, I was knocked sideways by Kathleen,” Douglas adds.
American actors Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner on the set of Romancing the Stone, directed by Robert Zemeckis
In his memoir One Helluva Ride, Douglas says he and Turner were consumed by “lust” from the moment they met, pictured at Toraille Waterfall in Romancing the Stone
The two actors reportedly concealed the relationship from everyone around them, including co-star Danny DeVito and director Robert Zemeckis.
“We found each other first as friends, then as co-stars, and finally as lovers,” Douglas recalls.
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“After an exhausting day filming in the jungle, we would go out for dinner or join the group, and later I would quietly slip into her hotel room once everyone else was asleep.”
The secret romance came to an end after Douglas’s wife travelled from Los Angeles to Mexico with their young son.
“Diandra grew suspicious,” Douglas writes. “A woman’s intuition, I suppose.”
Douglas and Diandra’s marriage continued until their divorce in 2000. That same year, he married Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Douglas and Turner subsequently made what he describes as a “gentleman’s agreement” never to speak publicly about their relationship. For 40 years, both actors kept to it.
Douglas says the public version of events was carefully constructed: “Yes, we admitted we had amazing chemistry. Yes, we were both, as Kathleen put it, ‘terrible flirts’, and yes, we were tempted—but nothing ever happened between us.”
“That was a lie,” he writes. “It was a lie intended to protect my wife and son, a lie we told the world for 40 years.”
Turner also upheld the pact during an interview with The Mail on Sunday several years ago. “The chemistry was there and Michael and I were both terrible flirts,” she said. “We were in the jungle and I was feeling very romantic towards him. It was going to happen.
‘Then I walked on set one day and his wife was suddenly there. She sat next to him and that was that. You don’t mess with another woman’s husband.’
When asked last night how she feels about Douglas ‘outing’ their illicit romance, Turner appeared far from upset: ‘Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael and I look forward to enjoying the book.’
Last night, a Hollywood producer who worked with Douglas said: ‘It was always one of Hollywood’s greatest rumours and now it’s been proven to be correct.
‘It took 40 years for him to admit it but you only have to watch the movie to know the sexual attraction was real.’
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