Michael Douglas details cancer battle, Hollywood affairs in new memoir
In his memoir "One Helluva Ride," Michael Douglas recounts his 2010 throat cancer treatment, past relationships and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his five-decade career.
Michael Douglas' memoir "One Helluva Ride," released this month, offers a candid look at his personal and professional life spanning five decades. The Oscar-winning actor describes his 2010 throat cancer diagnosis and treatment, noting the illness forced him to confront his health while continuing to work.
He also reflects on his early marriage to Diandra Luker, describing it as a "dual life" that involved heavy drug use and frequent partying. Douglas writes that cocaine was "easily accessible" on Hollywood sets and recounts an incident in the late 1970s when he and Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner accepted cocaine from O. J. Simpson at an after-party.
The memoir details his interactions with co-stars, including a claim that actress Debra Winger bit his arm during a dinner meeting for "Romancing the Stone," which he says led him to reject her for the role. He later confirms a romantic relationship with co-star Kathleen Turner during that film’s production.
Douglas also shares memories of watching his own film "Wall Street" with Princess Diana at a London gala, describing a private conversation in which he felt they both faced unhappy marriages.
Regarding his later marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Douglas writes that their nine-month long-distance courtship was largely conducted by phone and that she preferred to take the relationship slowly, insisting on monogamy before he ended other romantic involvements.
The book includes chapters on the making of "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct," where Douglas describes on-set dynamics with Glenn Close and Sharon Stone, noting that Stone requested full nudity for a scene and later asked him to be gentle because of skin irritation.
"I look back on cocaine as a ridiculous, useless drug," Douglas writes.
"She wanted to take it slow," he says about Zeta-Jones' approach to their early relationship.
The memoir has prompted reactions from former collaborators, with Kathleen Turner describing the book as a "fuss about something 40 years ago" and expressing affection for Douglas.