Michael Douglas stated that he does not feel bad about revealing past affairs in his new memoir, "One Helluva Ride," noting that these events occurred before he met his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. The 82-year-old actor published the book on Oct. 6, detailing his relationships with former co-stars Kathleen Turner and Jeanne Tripplehorn, as well as his history with cocaine and addiction.
During an interview on the "Happy, Sad, Confused" podcast, host Josh Horowitz asked whether Zeta-Jones knew everything Douglas revealed. Douglas replied that he would have to ask her at home because she had only received the book two days prior. He explained that he considered these past events "B.C., before Catherine," adding that he did not feel bad and believed she understood the timeline. Douglas highlighted the 25-year age gap between them, joking that Zeta-Jones would have been seven years old during his film with Turner.
In the memoir, Douglas confirmed a 1983 affair with Turner while filming "Romancing the Stone," a rumor they had denied for over 40 years. At the time, Douglas was legally married to Diandra Luker, though he stated they were separated when production began. He wrote that he and Turner fell hard for each other due to their close working relationship and mutual respect, describing the connection as growing naturally rather than being a fleeting encounter. The couple kept the affair secret to protect Luker and their son, Cameron, ending the relationship after Luker visited the set with Cameron and made it clear they were still married.
Turner responded to the revelations in a statement to People, calling it a "fuss about something 40 years ago" and expressing her love for Douglas while looking forward to reading the book. Douglas also disclosed an affair with Tripplehorn during the filming of their 1992 movie, "Basic Instinct." He wrote that he was ready to leave his wife for Tripplehorn but that they went their separate ways after production ended. Tripplehorn has not publicly commented on the memoir, though Douglas said she approved of including their relationship in the book.
Zeta-Jones confirmed on an Oct. 8 appearance on "Today" that she had not yet read the memoir, citing a demanding schedule that included wrapping filming for the third season of "Wednesday" in Dublin and working on "Kill Jackie" in London. She joked that she had no intention of reading about her husband when tired but encouraged others to read it. Douglas told Page Six on Oct. 7 that he had already spoken with Zeta-Jones about the book and was confident she would be understanding. He recalled meeting Zeta-Jones at the Deauville Film Festival in France after first seeing her in "The Mask of Zorro." The couple married in November 2000 after Douglas ended other relationships to commit to her demand for monogamy. They share two children, Dylan and Carys, and reconciled in 2014 after separating in 2013.