Michael Douglas fired back at a British journalist over questions about his sexual history during a profile interview published over the weekend.
The 82-year-old Oscar winner grew visibly irritated when the Sunday Times reporter pressed him on rumored sex addiction and past relationships ahead of his memoir release. Douglas is promoting “One Helluva Ride,” which hits shelves Tuesday, and he took issue with the line of questioning throughout the sitdown.
The journalist noted Douglas’s “accusatory” tone and narrowed eyes as he pushed back. Douglas, who wed Catherine Zeta-Jones, 57, in 2000, traced the persistent rumor to its origin. “A British tabloid editor came up with this story, which, thank you very much, here we are talking about at 82,” he said. “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.”
The “Basic Instinct” star also rejected the premise that he had slept with numerous women. “No, not me, no. I was a healthy product of the ’60s,” he said. “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?”
In his memoir, Douglas writes that he “was never a f–king sex addict,” according to the outlet. The book does address his romantic life, though he told the reporter he mentions only “a couple” partners. When the journalist brought up Douglas’s account of ending things “with five women” before committing to Zeta-Jones, Douglas disputed the characterization. “No, no, it’s not what it was,” he said.
He continued, “What Catherine said is, if we’re going to continue this then I want it to be monogamous. And so I therefore, that evening, you know, made some calls to some people I was seeing, and that was that.”
The memoir does confirm one long-speculated affair. Douglas and Kathleen Turner, 72, kept their on-set romance during the 1984 filming of “Romancing the Stone” secret for four decades. Douglas described their connection as a “magic spell” and more than a “fly-by-night affair.” Turner herself dismissed the renewed attention Friday, brushing off the “fuss” about the dalliance. The relationship occurred while Douglas was separated from his first wife, Diandra Luker, though the two were still legally married; their divorce was finalized in 2000.
The Sunday Times profile also touched on Douglas and Zeta-Jones’s brief separation in 2013. When asked how he “won her back,” Douglas objected to the framing before answering. “It was a mutual… You know, we had our problems but I love her dearly and, 25 years, you know,” he said. He then turned the question back toward the interviewer. “I mean, I don’t know about your marital status, but marriage is a lot of work, you know. And so, you know, we’re good. We’re in good shape. It’s all I can say.”
The reporter described Douglas’s expression after his monogamy explanation as suggesting “that he thinks he’s just corrected me,” noting the silence that followed.
Douglas’s rep did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the outlet.
“One Helluva Ride” arrives in bookstores Tuesday.