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Kathleen Turner has responded after Michael Douglas confessed that they had an affair more than 40 years ago — and it’s pretty hilarious.
Douglas, 82, reveals in his new memoir One Helluva Ride that he and Turner began a secret relationship while filming the 1984 adventure movie Romancing the Stone in Mexico, despite both of them previously denying it. At the time, Douglas was separated from Diandra Luker, his first wife and the mother of his son ,Cameron.
After Douglas’s confession made headlines Friday, Turner told People in a statement: “Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book.”
In an excerpt of the memoir published by the outlet, Douglas wrote that he “fell hard” for Turner while working together, and that he’d sneak into her room after the rest of the cast was asleep after long days on set.
Douglas said that they kept their affair hidden from everyone, including their co-star Danny DeVito and director Robert Zemeckis.
“Kathleen was smart, funny, and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature,” he wrote. “I instantly liked her, and we were immediately attracted to each other.”
He continued: “Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs… I left for Mexico still technically married, but separated.”
According to Douglas’s account, the romance ended when his wife visited the set and brought their son.
“Diandra grew suspicious,” he wrote. “A woman’s intuition, I suppose.”
He said that during the visit, Luker had reminded Turner that Douglas was still married. Turner did not want to interfere.
“After that visit, Kathleen and I ended things, and I went back to Diandra,” he said. “I did it for Cameron, but we shouldn’t have gotten back together. After that first split, it was never the same between us ever again.” The former couple went on to divorce in 2000.
Douglas married his current wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, later that year. The pair have two children together: Dylan and Carys.
Turner and Douglas worked on several projects after Romancing the Stone, but continued to deny any relationship.
In an interview in 2023, Turner told The Guardian about Douglas: “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.”
When asked how close she came to dating Douglas, Turner replied at the time: “None of your business.”
Douglas wrote that he asked Turner for permission to include their romance in his book.
