Drugs, relationships with his co-stars... here are 7 shocking revelations from Michael Douglas's memoirs

Michael Douglas has published his memoir, "One Helluva Ride," in which he recounts his extramarital affairs, drug use, and the tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama of Hollywood award ceremonies. Here are seven of the craziest anecdotes.

The whole truth, nothing but the truth. Michael Douglas gave his fans an invaluable gift by publishing his memoir "One Helluva Ride" on October 6th (published by Grand Central Publishing / Hachette), excerpts of which have just been published by the American website The Hollywood Reporter.

The 82-year-old actor looks back on the highlights of his career and personal life, making a number of revelations about his extramarital affairs, his drug use, and his sometimes stormy interactions with other Hollywood stars.

A secret affair with Kathleen Turner for over 40 years

The chemistry between Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in the 1984 film "Romancing the Stone" fueled rumors of an intimate relationship between the two actors on set. They firmly denied this at the time. However, the 82-year-old actor has now admitted that he and his co-star did indeed have an affair, meeting secretly in hotel rooms without arousing the suspicions of director Robert Zemeckis or Danny DeVito.

Michael Douglas justified the relationship by pointing out that he was "technically married, but separated" from his wife, Diandra Luker, who clearly didn't share his view of their "separation," as she had gone to the set to confront Kathleen Turner about their affair. Michael Douglas clarified that he had obtained Kathleen Turner's consent before making this revelation, which they had spent over 40 years denying.

"The official version was this: Yes, we admitted there was incredible chemistry between us. Yes, we were both, as Kathleen said, 'terrible flirts,' and yes, we were both tempted, but we assured everyone that nothing ever happened between us... It was a lie designed to protect my wife and son, a lie we told the world for 40 years," the comedian wrote.

His crush on his co-star in "Basic Instinct"

No, it's not Sharon Stone. Despite their intensely passionate encounter in the film "Basic Instinct," Michael Douglas didn't have a fling with the actress during filming, but with his other co-star, Jeanne Tripplehorn. The actor admits to having fallen head over heels for her, to the point of considering leaving everything behind for her. However, they decided to end their relationship after filming wrapped.

“The press was so focused on a possible relationship between Sharon and me that they missed the real relationship that was developing between me and Jeanne. I was crazy about her. But I had just enough self-awareness to know that the worst thing I could do at that moment, after almost 20 years of marriage, was to rush immediately into another serious relationship. My relationship with Jeanne lasted throughout the production, and then we went our separate ways,” Michael Douglas wrote.

The phone call to five mistresses

When Michael Douglas met the woman of his life, Catherine Zeta-Jones, in 1998, and their relationship became official, the actor decided to make "five quick calls" to break up with the five women he was seeing in parallel relationships with, but who lived in five different cities to be sure to avoid problems.

Five breakups that, according to him, went surprisingly well. "None of them asked for a commitment from me or even tried to find out what else I was doing. I'm sure they were seeing other people too. That day, I called each of them to tell them that I had met someone and that I could no longer see them. They all took it well," he reveals.

His drunken argument with Julia Roberts

It was at the after-party for the 1990 Golden Globes that a slightly too drunk Michael Douglas launched a torrent of insults at Julia Roberts for putting her arm around his 13-year-old son's neck, believing at the time that she was "rubbing up against him".

“Take your hands off my son and shove that Golden Globe up your ass where the sun isn’t shining anymore,” Michael Douglas publicly told her. He explains that he offered a groveling apology in the following days to the actress, to whom he sent flowers, and to her then-partner, Kiefer Sutherland. “I remained friends with Kiefer. With Julia, less so,” he clarifies.

Caught red-handed deceiving

Michael Douglas revealed that he was caught cheating by his wife, Diandra Luker, one evening in Los Angeles, where she had decided to leave him alone for the night in a hotel. The actor took advantage of the situation to bring in one of his mistresses before his wife burst into the room.

He explained that he saw with horror "the door handle move," before catching sight of Diandra Luker "on the doorstep, staring at us." Michael Douglas thought at the time that his wife had hired a private investigator to catch him in the act.

Diandra Luker reportedly gave him the choice between "a divorce or rehab" to cure his sex addiction. The actor chose to undergo treatment for his "sex addiction," before stating, "I've never been a sex addict." He also revealed that his wife was having extramarital affairs and that she didn't wait patiently at home when he was away.

Cocaine use with OJ Simpson

Michael Douglas opened up about his drug use, explaining that while he didn't take drugs during filming, there was a period when he completely let loose during his time off. He snorted so much that one day he remembers waking up with a straw stuck in his nostril.

He also reveals that in the late 1970s he found himself taking cocaine in the company of OJ Simpson and the founder of Rolling Stone magazine, Jann Wenner.

“I was overwhelmed by events, under enormous pressure, and I started using more cocaine. I think this played a major role in the failure of my first marriage and my going to rehab… Looking back, I consider cocaine a ridiculous and useless drug. But at the time, it was a way to prolong the party and relieve the pressure,” he writes.

Attempted assassination at the Oscars

At the 1992 Academy Awards ceremony, Michael Douglas revealed that he had been approached by an FBI agent who, after discreetly approaching him backstage, told him that he suspected someone in the audience of wanting to stab him with a syringe contaminated with the AIDS virus.

The actor explained that he was terrified all evening, especially when he went on stage to present the Best Actress Oscar to Jodie Foster. "As I was coming down from the stage, I took a quick look at the crowd to make sure no one was rushing towards me," he said.