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Michael Douglas gave a cheeky response when asked how his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, had reacted to his new tell-all, “One Helluva Ride.”
The 82-year-old actor’s new memoir, published Oct. 6, contained revelations about his life, including his secret affairs with his former co-stars Kathleen Turner and Jeanne Tripplehorn, as well as his past cocaine use and struggles with addiction.
During an appearance on the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast on the day of the book’s release, host Josh Horowitz asked Douglas whether Zeta-Jones, 57, knew “everything” that he revealed in the book.
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“I’ll be home to ask her because she just got the book two days ago. I told her this was all, as I say, B.C., before Catherine,” Douglas said in the interview, which was published on Oct. 19.
Michael Douglas admitted that he “doesn’t feel bad” about his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones reading about his affair revelations in his memoir. (Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival)
“And you know, we have a 25-year age difference, so I’m looking at some of these films, like with Kathleen, and Catherine would have been seven years old,” he joked.
“I don’t feel bad,” Douglas added. “I think she understands.”
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones married in 2000. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
In “One Helluva Ride,” Douglas confirmed that he and Turner, 72, had an affair in 1983 while filming the hit 1984 romantic adventure movie “Romancing the Stone,” a rumor they denied for over 40 years.
At the time, Douglas was legally married to Diandra Luker, with whom he shares son Cameron, though he said in his memoir that they were separated when production on the film began, and they were both having extramarital affairs.
Douglas recalled that he and Turner continued to deny rumors that they were romantically involved during production of the sequel and even years later when they reunited on “The Kominsky Method.”
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The two told the public that while they “had amazing chemistry” and were “both tempted,” they never acted on their feelings.
Douglas joked that Zeta-Jones would have been “seven years old” when he and Kathleen Turner had an affair while filming “Romancing the Stone.” (20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)
“The truth is that during the production of ‘Romancing the Stone,’ Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship,” he wrote. “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. Like every other guy in the world at the time, I was knocked sideways by Kathleen.”
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He noted that he and Turner kept their affair a secret for 40 years to protect Luker and Cameron. Douglas wrote that the two decided to end their relationship after Luker visited them on set with Cameron “and made it clear to her [Turner] that we were still married.”
After reports circulated about Douglas’ admission, Turner said in a statement to People, “Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book.”
Michael Douglas and Diandra Luker were married for 23 years, from 1977 until their divorce was finalized in 2000. (Sygma via Getty Images)
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Douglas also disclosed that he and Tripplehorn, 63, who was almost 20 years his junior, had an affair during the filming of their 1992 movie, “Basic Instinct.”
“The truth is, I fell very hard for Jeanne despite our nearly 20-year age difference,” he wrote. “In fact, I was ready to officially leave my wife for Jeanne. I was crazy about her.”
Douglas also revealed that he had an affair with Jeanne Tripplehorn. (TriStar Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)
Douglas recalled that his “relationship with Jeanne lasted through production,” but that they “went our separate ways” once production ended.
“But I will always think of her as an amazing actress and a truly terrific woman that I was very fortunate to spend time with,” he added.
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Douglas maintained that he and Luker were still separated at the time. Luker filed for divorce in 1995, and their split was finalized in 2000.
Tripplehorn has not publicly commented on Douglas’ memoir, though the actor previously said she approved of him including their relationship in the book. During an interview with Page Six, Douglas said, “I talked to her before I put it in the book,” adding that “she was fine” with it.
Cameron Douglas and Michael Douglas attend the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Variety via Getty Images)
The memoir also explored Douglas’ struggles with substance abuse, his complicated relationship with his late father, Kirk Douglas, and Cameron’s battle with addiction.
Zeta-Jones previously confirmed that she had not yet read “One Helluva Ride” during an Oct. 8 appearance on “Today.”
“As much as I love my husband, when I’m tired at night, I have no intention of reading about him. At all,” she joked.
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The Oscar winner cited her exhausting schedule, having just wrapped up seven months of filming the third season of her Netflix series “Wednesday” in Dublin, while also working on her new Prime Video show “Kill Jackie” in London and traveling to Bilbao, Spain, before her press tour.
Zeta-Jones previously said that she has not yet read the book. (Getty Images for Netflix)
“But everyone else should [read it],” Zeta-Jones told the audience. “The book is called ‘One Helluva Ride,’ and I think everyone should hold on to their cowboy hats, because I think it is.”
During a subsequent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Douglas was asked if it “was for the best” that Zeta-Jones had not read his memoir.
“Oh, yeah,” Douglas quipped.
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In an Oct. 7 interview with Page Six, Douglas confirmed that he had already “talked” to Zeta-Jones about the book and expressed his confidence that she would be “very understanding.”
Douglas first fell head over heels for Zeta-Jones when she caught his eye in the 1998 movie “The Mask of Zorro.” He went on to meet Zeta-Jones at the Deauville Film Festival in France. At the time, Zeta-Jones was aware of his reputation as a Hollywood womanizer and wary of starting a relationship with him.
In his memoir, Douglas recalled that Zeta-Jones demanded monogamy, and he called five other women that day to end their relationships before committing to her.
The couple share two children. (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)
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The couple, who share the same birthday, Sept. 25, though 25 years apart, became engaged in December 1999 and tied the knot in November 2000. Douglas and Zeta-Jones, who are parents to son Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23, separated in 2013 before reconciling eight months later in 2014.
In “One Helluva Ride,” Douglas wrote candidly about their separation and shared that he never gave up hope that they would reconcile.
“I love Catherine in a way that I have never loved any other woman,” he wrote. “She’s my wife, my best friend, and my life partner. I could never lose her.”
