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Michael Douglas has drawn criticism from those close to him after revealing intimate details about his relationships with several famous women in his new memoir, “One Helluva Ride.”
The 82-year-old actor’s revelations include romances with Kathleen Turner, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Brenda Vaccaro, along with personal details about his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones.
However, a source close to Michael Douglas says the revelations have shocked friends who believe the veteran actor has taken an unusual approach to telling his life story.
Friends of Michael Douglas’ Questions ‘horrible’ Decision to disclose intimate details
Douglas, son of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, has had a career spanning decades, winning an Academy Award for “Wall Street” and producing the acclaimed film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
His latest book describes his professional achievements, relationships and personal struggles.
But some people in his circle would question why the actor has paid so much attention to his romantic past, especially when his career offers a lot of other material.
“To eat the way he was lying to stars like Brenda Vaccaro, Kathleen Turner and Jeanne Tripplehorn – and even his own wife Catherine Zeta-Jones – is kind of a desperate move,” a source told the spokesperson. Daily Mail.
The reporter also questioned whether the women involved felt completely comfortable with the revelations.
“It’s terrible that he’s written so much about the women he’s slept with, it looks really disgusting even if he got permission from the women. Michael is still very powerful in Hollywood, so I wonder if they felt like they couldn’t say it,” the source said.
The generic tone of the Remembrance has surprised many in the actor’s inner circle as he is “usually a class act”.
The Daily Mail the source noted that Douglas was generally considered a gentleman, making the open tone of the memoir particularly surprising to those who know him.
The actor had previously explained that he wanted to tell his story on his own terms. When he announced the book, he described it as a true account of his life, after years of requests to write his memoirs.
Depending on the income, however, some friends believe that the finished book has used a tabloid-style approach to his personal history.
“Michael is usually a class act, he’s very much a well-mannered gentleman,” the source said, describing his social circle as including influential figures outside of the entertainment industry.
The source wondered if the actor’s decision reflected pressure to produce a commercially successful memoir or a desire to attract new attention.
“Michael wants to be in the news. Yes, he’s a nice guy, but he also has a big ego and he wants to stay in the spotlight, he cares about his legacy and being an icon,” said the source.
Kathleen Turner’s relationship with Michael Douglas highlighted in Memorial after four decades
One of the most famous revelations in the memoir concerns Douglas’ relationship with Kathleen Turner while they were filming the 1984 romantic adventure “Romancing the Stone”.
Douglas wrote that he was immediately drawn to Turner, describing her as “smart, funny and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature.”
He explained that their relationship developed through the close working conditions, stress, and mutual respect during production.
“It wasn’t a fly-by-night affair,” he wrote, explaining that their bond grew naturally as they worked together.
The actor also revealed that he had been involved with screenwriter Diane Thomas before his relationship with Turner. At the time, Douglas was still married to his first wife, Diandra Luker.
Their secret relationship ended after Luker arrived in Mexico with their son, Cameron. Now, Douglas’ decision to revisit the affair in public has raised eyebrows, especially since he was married when it started.
Turner, however, showed no concern with the revelation. Talking to People Magazineshe dismissed the attention surrounding the story decades ago, saying, “Good things, say something from 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book.”
Sources claim that Michael Douglas’ influence in Hollywood may have pressured his former co-stars to agree to the stories
Douglas also revealed that his relationship with “Basic Instinct” co-star Jeanne Tripplehorn was closer than audiences might have assumed.
While viewers associated the 1992 thriller with his on-screen chemistry with Sharon Stone, the actor wrote that he had fallen deeply for Tripplehorn during filming.
“I was crazy about her,” he wrote, describing his feelings for the actress, who was almost 20 years younger than him.
Douglas said Page Six that he had previously spoken to Tripplehorn about their relationship in the memoir and that she was fine with the disclosure.
However, the Daily Mail the source questioned whether the actress might have been pressured into agreeing to the story because Douglas remains influential and powerful in Hollywood.
“I’m sure Jeanne agreed to write about their romance on ‘Basic Instinct’ because she wants to be good graces because he’s still working all the time, but I wonder if she’s okay with it. She’s a very nice, generous woman, so maybe she’s okay with it,” the source said.
Michael Douglas shared details about his early courtship of wife Catherine Zeta-Jones
In his new memoir, Douglas opened up about his relationship with his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, whom he first met in 1998. The book details their early courtship, including the actor’s admission that he was instantly smitten with the Welsh actress.
“In a moment of temporary commitment, I blurted out: ‘I’m going to be the father of your children,'” Douglas recalled of their first meeting.
He described their relationship as slower dating than he was used to, explaining that he wanted to build something lasting with Zeta-Jones rather than treat her as another lover.
“As Catherine said, I didn’t want her to be just another boyfriend on my list, and she didn’t want Michael Douglas to be her next boyfriend,” he wrote.
Douglas also revealed that he had been seeing five other women while he was separated from his first wife and asked each of them to end those relationships after he decided to go ahead with a monogamous relationship with Zeta-Jones.
“I made sure they all lived in different cities, which felt like an honorable way to be non-monogamous,” he wrote, adding that he told each woman he had met someone and could no longer continue seeing them.
