In a recent interview, Michael Douglas emphasized that his forthcoming memoir is not excessively focused on sex and pushed back against claims of a sex addiction.
During a conversation with a reporter from the Sunday Times, the actor mentioned that he only talks about “a couple” of partners in his book “One Helluva Ride.” When reminded that he shared needing to break ties with “five women” before settling down with his current wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, he insisted, “No, no, it’s not what it was.”
Douglas elaborated that Zeta-Jones requested that their relationship be monogamous, prompting him to reach out to others he was involved with at the time. The reporter noted that Douglas appeared to think he had corrected the narrative with this comment.
At 82, Douglas refuted the notion that he has slept “with so many women,” explaining that he doesn’t view it that way. He described himself as “a healthy product of the ’60s” and questioned why British media seem particularly fixated on sex-related topics.
The interview took a tense turn, with the writer describing Douglas’ tone as “accusatory” as they discussed older rumors about his alleged stint in rehab for sex addiction in the ’90s. He firmly stated that this allegation was false, attributing it to a British tabloid editor’s fabrication. Douglas pointed out that despite the passage of time, such stories keep resurfacing, especially in tabloid culture.
In his memoir, which is set to release on Tuesday, Douglas writes that he was “never a f–king sex addict.”
However, he does acknowledge a past romantic relationship with his “Romancing the Stone” co-star, Kathleen Turner, which they kept under wraps for nearly four decades. He characterized their time together as a “magic spell,” while Turner, now 72, brushed aside the media hype surrounding their affair. This occurred while Douglas was married but separated from his first wife, Diandra Luker, before their divorce in 2000.
Later that same year, he married Zeta-Jones, 57, reflecting on their brief separation in 2013 during the interview. When queried about how he “won her back,” Douglas took issue with the wording but noted, “It was mutual… we had our problems but I love her dearly, and, 25 years, you know.”
He reiterated that marriage involves significant work, adding, “we’re in good shape. That’s all I can say.” Douglas’ representative has not yet responded to requests for additional comments.
