Michael Douglas' New Book 'One Helluva Ride': Candid Revelations About His Father, Marriage and More

Michael Douglas dropped several revelations in his new memoir, One Helluva Ride.

More than six years after his father, Kirk Douglas, died on February 5, 2020, Michael admitted he likely would not have written the book while the Hollywood legend was still alive.

"I was very uncomfortable talking about the early years and his physical abuse," he told the Associated Press. "He was of a generation that hit; my mother used the hairbrush. He was tough. That was also one of the reasons why it took a little time to warm up as we got older, and to forgive him."

One Helluva Ride, which hit shelves on October 6, included candid revelations about Michael's family struggles, relationships, health battles and career.

Here are some of the most shocking revelations from the memoir.

In One Helluva Ride, Michael revisited his complicated relationship with Kirk, whose enormous Hollywood legacy often left him struggling to establish an identity of his own.

"Dad's volatility kept us on edge," he wrote, according to an excerpt published by the Los Angeles Times.

He added he spent years wanting to escape being known as "Kirk Douglas' son."

After producing One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Michael had to tell Kirk — who had long hoped to play Randle McMurphy — he was too old for the role. Jack Nicholson was ultimately cast and went on to win an Academy Award for his performance.

The film's success helped establish Michael as a producer, but he wrote that stepping out of his father's shadow remained a struggle throughout his life.

In another chapter, the Academy Award winner revealed he and Rob Reiner bonded over one of the most painful chapters of their personal lives: watching their sons struggle with serious drug problems.

"We both had sons with serious drug issues and we both, at times, had been at the end of our rope," Michael scribed. "It was a heartbreaking confessional for us, but I know we gave each other some measure of comfort during the hard times."

Rob and Michele Singer Reiner's son Nick Reiner is being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles as he awaits trial for the December 2025 murders of the couple. He faces two counts of first-degree murder, in addition to a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon.

Nick has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The two-time Oscar winner shared a bombshell revelation about his secret romance with Kathleen Turner while the two were filming the 1984's Romancing the Stone. They had previously denied the relationship for more than four decades, but he finally wrote about the involvement with Kathleen's permission.

"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," Michael confessed in the book.

"Things at home were in a bad place. Diandra and I were both having extramarital affairs," he revealed. "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 [Michael's then-wife] constantly asked me to change. It created enormous problems between us...I left for Mexico still technically married, but separated."

Their undeniable chemistry eventually developed into a secret affair while they were working together.

Michael shared, "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. 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 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," he admitted.

He then detailed how their relationship developed behind the scenes.

"Kathleen and I never hit a rough spot," he wrote. "We found each other first as friends, then as co-stars, and finally as lovers. 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."

According to Michael, their romance remained hidden even from people working closely with them on set.

"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. We kept our involvement hidden. Even [director] Bob [Zemeckis] and [costar] Danny [DeVito] were unaware," he disclosed.

However, their relationship eventually ended after Diandra visited the set with their son, Cameron.

"At some point, she was alone with Kathleen and made it clear to her that we were still married," he shared in the book. "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."

Michael also addressed the affair rumors involving Sharon Stone, which began during filming of Basic Instinct.

Behind the scenes, however, he said he was embroiled in a tense power struggle with director Paul Verhoeven. He later revealed he was actually involved with another costar, Jeanne Tripplehorn.

"They were so focused on a possible relationship between Sharon and me, they missed the real relationship happening between me and Jeanne," he penned.

Per Michael, his dating life changed after meeting Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"From the moment I met Catherine, and we formed our family, I was a new man," he wrote in the book.

However, their marriage hit a difficult period when they briefly separated in August 2013.

Michael shared, "I never gave up hope that we would reconcile."

By November 2013, reports indicated that the pair had quietly rekindled their relationship. They began making public appearances together again starting in April 2014.

In One Helluva Ride, the Wall Street star recalled a terrifying threat at the 1992 Academy Awards, when authorities warned him that someone inside the venue was allegedly planning to stab him with an HIV-infected needle.

"We have information that someone will try to stab you with an HIV-infected needle tonight," the authorities reportedly told Michael, per the excerpt shared by Page Six.

He noted, "This was during the height of the AIDS crisis, and getting stabbed with an infected needle would essentially be a death sentence."

Despite the threat, Michael still took the stage to present Jodie Foster with the Best Actress award for The Silence of the Lambs. He recalled scanning the crowd, but the threat ultimately did not happen.

"As I walked out, I took a quick glance into the crowd to make sure that no one was rushing to the stage. All I could see were blinding lights," he continued.

The Oscars scare was not the only alleged threat Michael discussed in his memoir.

He reportedly learned that his name had appeared on a "kill list" linked to the Death Angels, a violent extremist group linked to the Zebra murders in San Francisco during the early 1970s.

The threat was taken seriously enough that he wore a bulletproof vest and had undercover officers protecting him on set.

In 2010, Michael was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer, though he initially told the public he had throat cancer.

"I wondered if my luck had run out," he shared in the book.

During the ordeal, One Helluva Ride co-author Shane Salerno remained by Michael's side and supported him through his treatment.