Some Hollywood rumors take decades to settle, and a few of the juiciest just got their answers. Michael Douglas is pulling back the curtain on his love life in his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, which hit shelves on October 6, 2026. The two-time Oscar winner opens up about romances he kept quiet for decades, including two with leading ladies from some of his biggest films, and he finally sets the record straight on one rumor that has followed him since the early 1990s.
Keep reading to find out which co-stars he named, how they reacted and what else the book reveals.
Kathleen Turner
Michael writes that he and Kathleen Turner fell for each other while filming 1984’s Romancing the Stone in Mexico, a romance both stars denied for more than 40 years he and his first wife, Diandra Luker, were separated but still legally married
Their romance ended after Diandra told Kathleen the couple was still together, and Kathleen backed off rather than complicate things, TMZ reported. Michael stayed married to Diandra until 2000, and he says he asked Kathleen’s permission before sharing their story with the world.
Kathleen took the news in stride in a statement reported by Fox News:
“Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago!”
The pair stayed close over the years, reuniting on screen for The War of the Roses and, decades later, The Kominsky Method.
Jeanne Tripplehorn?
Michael’s second big reveal involves Jeanne Tripplehorn, who played his therapist in 1992’s Basic Instinct. He writes that the two began a relationship while making the thriller, and that his feelings ran so deep he considered leaving his marriage for her He described just how hard he fell in the book:
“I fell very hard for Jeanne despite our nearly 20-year age difference.”
Their relationship ended once filming wrapped, the outlet reported, and Michael stayed in his marriage.
Sharon Stone
No. Michael’s steamy scenes with Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct fueled romance rumors for decades, but the memoir makes clear that his real off-screen relationship during filming was with Jeanne. For fans who spent years convinced the chemistry was more than acting, the book finally offers the full story behind the gossip.
What Else Does Michael Douglas Reveal in ‘One Helluva Ride’?
Grand Central Publishing is behind One Helluva Ride, and the book covers far more than his romances, HOLA! USA reported. Michael looks back on growing up as the son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas and on his love story with Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he married on November 18, 2000.
He also made sure the women he wrote about were on board, reaching out to them before the memoir was published, Parade noted. With his story now on shelves, Michael is giving fans his most candid role yet, which is simply playing himself.
