Michael Douglas has revealed that he fell for his Basic Instinct co-star Jeanne Tripplehorn while filming the 1992 erotic thriller, admitting he was so taken with her that he considered leaving his wife.
Douglas, now 81, has opened up about the relationship in his new memoir One Helluva Ride, reflecting on his personal life and the relationships he had during his Hollywood career.
The actor played detective Nick Curran in Basic Instinct, opposite Sharon Stone's Catherine Tramell.
While the chemistry between Douglas and Stone led to years of speculation about whether the pair had been romantically involved, Douglas says his real feelings were for Tripplehorn.
Jeanne Tripplehorn. Photo credit: Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Tripplehorn played Beth Garner, a police psychologist who becomes romantically involved with Douglas's character in the film.
“The truth is, I fell very hard for Jeanne despite our nearly 20-year age difference,” Douglas writes in his memoir.
When Basic Instinct was released, Tripplehorn was 28 and unmarried, while Douglas was 47 and still married to his first wife, model Diandra Luker.
Michael Douglas. Photo credit: Frederic Legrand - COMEO, Shutterstock
Douglas admits that his feelings for Tripplehorn became serious enough that he considered ending his marriage.
He writes that he was so “crazy about” Tripplehorn that he “was ready to officially leave my wife for Jeanne.”
However, Douglas ultimately decided that walking directly from his marriage into another serious relationship would be the wrong move.
He concluded that the “worst thing” he could do would be to leave what was then his 15-year marriage and immediately begin another relationship.
Michael Douglas with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, 2004. Photo credit: Tinseltown, Shutterstock
The revelation comes as Douglas has been discussing his colourful love life and rejecting claims that he was a sex addict.
Last week, the actor said he considered himself a “healthy product of the Sixties” when asked about his past relationships and the number of women he had slept with.
Speaking to The Times, Douglas was asked whether he had ever wondered why he had slept with so many women.
“I don’t know if I slept with so many women, I don’t see it that way. No, not me, no. I was a healthy product of the Sixties,” he said.
Michael Douglas. Photo credit Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
He also questioned why the British media appeared particularly interested in his sex life.
“My curiosity is why, of all countries, of all the press that I do, why are the Brits so consumed with the issues of sex?”
Douglas has addressed the subject more directly in One Helluva Ride, writing: “I was never a sex addict.”
His memoir also adds to the stories he has previously shared about relationships during his career.
Douglas has previously admitted to having an affair with his Romancing The Stone co-star Kathleen Turner while filming the 1984 adventure comedy.
Kathleen Turner, 2001. Photo credit: Everett, Shutterstock
At the time, he was married to Luker, whom he had married in 1977.
Douglas and Luker remained together until their divorce was finalised in 2000. Later that same year, Douglas married Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The couple have been married for more than 25 years and have two children together.
Michael Douglas with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones. Photo credit: DFree, Shutterstock
Despite the revelations about his earlier relationships, Douglas has described his marriage to Zeta-Jones as a significant part of his life, with the pair continuing to appear together publicly over the years.
His new memoir offers a more detailed look at his career, relationships and personal life, including his experiences while working on some of his most famous films.
