Michael Douglas reveals 1980s affair with Kathleen Turner in memoir, actress responds

Michael Douglas, 82, disclosed in his memoir One Helluva Ride that he and actress Kathleen Turner had a secret relationship while filming the 1984 adventure film Romancing the Stone in Mexico. The memoir, released this week, says Douglas was separated from his first wife, Diandra Luker, when the affair began and that the two kept the liaison hidden from cast and crew.

Turner responded to the revelation in a statement to People, saying, "Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book."

Douglas wrote that he "fell hard" for Turner and would sneak into her room after the rest of the cast had gone to sleep. He described Turner as "smart, funny, and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature" and said the romance ended after Luker visited the set with their son, prompting Douglas to return to his wife for the sake of his child.

The memoir notes that Douglas later married Catherine Zeta-Jones, with whom he has two children, and that he and Turner continued to work together on later projects while publicly denying any relationship. In a 2023 interview, Turner said she thought they might have been falling in love but ended any possibility when Luker made it clear Douglas was not available.

"I think we might have been falling in love. But then Diandra flew down and made it clear that she did not consider Michael to be available. So that ended that because I can’t get involved with another woman’s relationship. But oh my, that attention is delicious," Turner told The Guardian.

Douglas said he sought Turner's permission before including the affair in his book.