Michael Douglas has revealed that he and Kathleen Turner had a secret romantic relationship while filming Romancing the Stone in 1984, after decades of denying it publicly.
Michael Douglas has disclosed a previously hidden chapter of his relationship with Kathleen Turner, revealing in his upcoming memoir One Helluva Ride that the two actors became romantically involved while making the 1984 adventure film Romancing the Stone.
Douglas writes that he and Turner were immediately attracted to each other after meeting during preparations for the film. At the time, Douglas was separated from his then-wife, Diandra Douglas, although they were still married.
He said the difficult circumstances in his personal life contributed to the complicated situation. According to Douglas’ memoir, the relationship developed during production in Mexico.
The pair continued working together while keeping their romance private, with Douglas saying even director Robert Zemeckis and co-star Danny DeVito were unaware of what was happening.
For decades, Douglas and Turner publicly denied that their on-screen chemistry had developed into a real relationship. Turner had previously acknowledged that there was strong mutual attraction between them but maintained that they had not acted on it.
Douglas now says that account was untrue. He explains in the memoir that the decision to conceal the relationship was partly intended to protect his family and his young son, Cameron.
The secrecy ended when Diandra visited the production in Mexico with Cameron. Douglas recalls that Diandra became suspicious and later spoke privately with Turner, reminding her that Douglas was still married. Turner subsequently decided not to continue the relationship.
Douglas says he returned to Diandra after the relationship ended, partly because he was concerned about the effect a divorce could have on Cameron. He later concluded that their marriage had not returned to its previous state.
The revelation adds another layer to the history of Romancing the Stone, which paired Douglas and Turner as adventurers Jack Colton and Joan Wilder. The film became a major success and led to the 1985 sequel The Jewel of the Nile.
Turner initially resisted returning for the sequel and became involved in a contract dispute with the studio. Douglas says the two eventually repaired their friendship while working on the follow-up, with Turner helping him develop parts of the script.
Their professional relationship continued long after their romance ended. They reunited for the 1989 film The War of the Roses and later appeared together on The Kominsky Method in 2021.
Douglas, who has been married to Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000, sought Turner’s permission before including the story in his memoir. One Helluva Ride is scheduled for publication on Oct. 6, 2026.
