Michael Douglas addresses sex addict rumours after revealing on-set affair
Updated . First published
Shocking new revelations continue to emerge from Michael Douglas’ press tour for his memoir One Helluva Ride, like the 82-year-old star finally addressing a decades-old rumour that he went to rehab for sex addiction.
Speaking to London’s The Sunday Times, the Fatal Attraction star denied anything of the sort had ever happened.
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have been married since 2000. AP
“A British tabloid editor came up with this story, which, thank you very much, here we are talking about at 82,” he told the reporter, who was also British.
“It happens with the tabloids and, well, I won’t blame your country alone, but you’re probably better known for it than most. It wasn’t true.”
It wasn’t the only time he took aim at the reporter during the interview.
Douglas was an A-list leading man in the ’80s and ’90s, which made him very popular with the ladies before he settled down with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000.
In his book, he revealed he had a secret affair with actress Kathleen Turner while filming Romancing the Stone despite denying it for decades.
At the time, Douglas was separated from his then-wife Diandra Douglas and he claimed in the book they were both having extramarital affairs at the time.
“Kathleen was smart, funny, and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature,” he wrote, according to an excerpt published by People.
“I instantly liked her, and we were immediately attracted to each other ... during the production of Romancing the Stone, Kathleen and I fell hard for each other and began a relationship”
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone. 20th Century Fox
The actor also claimed to have ended things with five women before committing Zeta-Jones.
But when the reporter asked about those revelations, Douglas got defensive.
“I was a healthy product of the ’60s. My curiosity is why, of all countries, of all the press that I do, why are the Brits so consumed with the issues of sex?” he said.
He also responded to a question about his brief split from Zeta-Jones in 2013 by questioning the reporter’s own relationship status.
“I mean, I don’t know about your marital status, but marriage is a lot of work ... we’re good. We’re in good shape. It’s all I can say,” he said.
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones with their actress daughter Carys at Cannes. Getty
Douglas’ book has been making plenty of headlines recently, and not just for its surprising revelations about his sex life.
It includes sections about his famous father, actor Kirk Douglas, and three actor children – but don’t call any members of this Hollywood dynasty nepo babies.
Douglas lashed the label in the same interview with The Sunday Times, saying it has a “snotty tone to it I really kind of resent”.
