Inside Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner's Secret Romance After Hiding Their Affair for 4 Decades

Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner's chemistry apparently extended beyond the screen.

More than four decades after Romancing the Stone brought the costars together, Douglas revealed in his memoir, One Helluva Ride, that he and Turner were secretly involved while making the 1984 film.

Their relationship remained largely under wraps for more than four decades before Douglas finally opened up about their connection in the book.

Here's everything to know so far about Douglas and Turner's past romance.

In One Helluva Ride, the actor said he became romantically involved with Turner while still legally married to his first wife, Diandra Douglas, though he noted they were already separated at the time.

"Kathleen was smart, funny, and s--- with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature. I instantly liked her, and we were immediately attracted to each other," he wrote.

"Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs," he added. "I never asked Diandra to change who she was, but having found out who I was after she fell in love with me and married me, Diandra constantly asked me to change. It created enormous problems between us...I left for Mexico still technically married, but separated."

Michael and Kathleen's relationship reportedly developed gradually. Although audiences had long suspected the pair's involvement, they continued to deny the speculation for decades.

"The chemistry I had with Kathleen Turner was so strong, audiences have been certain for years that we were in a relationship together while making the film," he confessed. "We both denied it through Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, War of the Roses, and even while doing press a few years ago for The Kominsky Method."

The Basic Instinct actor wrote, "The official story went as follows: Yes, we confessed, we had amazing chemistry. Yes, we were both, as Kathleen said, 'terrible flirts,' and yes, we were both tempted, but nothing ever happened between us. That was a lie."

According to Michael, they kept their relationship so private that even director Robert Zemeckis and their costar Danny DeVito were unaware of it. But at the same time, the two spent time together over meals or with the cast before Michael secretly visited her hotel room at night.

"Kathleen and I never hit a rough spot. We found each other first as friends, then as costars, and finally as lovers," he admitted in the book. "Following an exhausting day of shooting in the jungle, we'd go out and have a meal, or head out with the group, and afterward I would sneak into her hotel room after everybody was asleep."

Michael shared, "There were no cameras in elevators, no assistants using cell phones to take pictures. As Jack and Joan were falling in love, Kathleen and I were keeping the chemistry alive.

Michael said his relationship with Kathleen changed after Diandra visited the Romancing the Stone set in Mexico with their son, Cameron.

"Diandra grew suspicious...At some point, she was alone with Kathleen and made it clear to her that we were still married," he scribed. "Her view of the terms of our separation was different from mine. This gave Kathleen pause...After that visit, Kathleen and I ended things, and I went back to Diandra."

While the relationship ended quietly, Kathleen hinted at their mutual connection years before Michael directly confirmed the affair.

In a 2021 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kathleen admitted she "certainly had a crush on Michael during Romancing."

"That was before I had any involvement," she clarified. "I was fancy-free, as they say. At that point, Michael said he was separated from Diandra. And so it seemed as though, you know, we could have a relationship, but then Diandra came down to Mexico and that killed that. So there you go. But I was knocked out by him for a while, you bet."

She revisited their connection again in a 2023 interview with The Guardian, saying their intense chemistry nearly developed into something more.

"I think we might have been falling in love," Kathleen said. "But then Diandra flew down and made it clear that she did not consider Michael to be available. So that ended that because I can't get involved with another woman's relationship. But oh my, that attention is delicious!"

Following the release of Michael's autobiography, Kathleen responded to his account of their past relationship.

"Good heavens what a fuss about something 40 years ago!" she shared in a statement to People. "I love Michael and I look forward to enjoying the book."