In his upcoming memoir, One Helluva Ride, Douglas addresses his reputation for having numerous romantic partners and pushes back on the idea that he had a problem.
When asked whether he ever wondered why he had been with so many women, Douglas said, “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 also questioned why media seemed particularly interested in his romantic history.
“My curiosity is why, of all countries, of all the press that I do, why are the Brits so consumed with the issues of s–” he asked.
Douglas has also rejected long-standing reports that he struggled with an addiction, writing, “I was never a —ing s– addict.”
Douglas’ biggest revelation involves Turner, his co-star in the 1984 blockbuster Romancing the Stone.
At the time, Douglas was still married to Diandra Luker, although he said their relationship “was in a bad place.”
He also revealed he had previously been involved with the movie’s screenwriter, Diane Thomas.
Douglas recalled being immediately drawn to Turner, writing, “Kathleen was smart, funny, and s— with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature. I instantly liked her, and we were immediately attracted to each other.”
He admitted, “Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs. The truth is that during the production of Romancing the Stone, Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship.”
Douglas said the pair kept their romance hidden from co-star Danny DeVito and director Robert Zemeckis.
“We found each other first as friends, then as co-stars, and finally as lovers,” he wrote, explaining that they would spend time together after exhausting days filming in Mexico before secretly meeting in Turner’s hotel room.
The relationship ended after Diandra became suspicious and traveled to the set with their young son.
For years, Douglas and Turner maintained that nothing had happened between them.
“That was a lie,” Douglas wrote. “It was a lie meant to protect my wife and son, a lie we told the world for 40 years.”
Turner, now 72, appeared amused rather than angry about Douglas finally telling the story.
“Good heavens, what a fuss about something 40 years ago! I love Michael, and I look forward to enjoying the book,” she said.
Douglas ultimately divorced Luker in 2000 and married Catherine Zeta-Jones that same year.
The couple, who share two children, are still married.