Michael Douglas has revealed that he had a secret affair with his co-star Jean Tripplehorn during the making of the 1992 film Basic Instinct.
In his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, the Wall Street actor reveals that he was “very attracted to Jean” despite their nearly 20-year age difference while filming the erotic thriller in San Francisco, California.
She explained that Tripplehorn, who played her romantic interest, was “not ready to get involved” with a married man, but he assured her that he was “formally separated” from his wife Deandra.
“They (co-stars) were so focused on the potential relationship between Sharon (Stone) and me that they forgot about the actual relationship that was happening between me and Gene,” Douglas, 82, wrote in the book.
“With Jean, the passion you see on the screen mirrors the real passion of our brief affair,” he recalled, reports People. “I was crazy about her. But I was also self-aware enough to know that the worst thing I could do at that moment, after almost twenty years of marriage, was to jump straight into a more serious relationship.
“My relationship with Jean lasted until production, then we went our separate ways. But I will always think of her as a wonderful actress and a truly brilliant woman who I was very fortunate to spend time with.”
In an interview with the outlet, Douglas revealed that he approached Triplehorn, 63, for permission before including their relationship in his memoir.
“It took a long time, but I called them and asked for permission. It’s their job,” he said. “she said yes.”
In One Helluva Ride, published Tuesday, Douglas also revealed his secret romance with co-star Kathleen Turner while making 1984’s Romancing the Stone during his split from Deandra.
Diandra eventually filed for divorce from the Fatal Attraction star in 1995. He has been married to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones since 2000.