Michael Douglas Says He and Kathleen Turner Had a Secret Relationship on 'Romancing the Stone': What His Memoir Excerpt Says
- 🔑 In an excerpt published by People on October 2, 2026, Michael Douglas writes that he and Kathleen Turner began a relationship while making ‘Romancing the Stone’ in Mexico in 1983, and that their long public denials of it were a lie told to protect his family at the time.
- The book is Douglas’s memoir ‘One Helluva Ride’ from Grand Central Publishing, scheduled for release on October 6, 2026. It is not a Kathleen Turner book; her own memoir, ‘Send Yourself Roses,’ came out in 2008. So far only the pre-publication excerpt is public, not the finished text.
- Douglas says he went to Mexico technically still married but separated. He writes that his then-wife later visited the set, told Turner the two were still married, and that the relationship ended afterward. All of this is Douglas’s recollection of private events, with no independent confirmation in the coverage we reviewed.
- As of October 2, 2026, we found no public comment from Kathleen Turner or her representatives. The account is Douglas’s alone, so how Turner remembers these events is unknown, and nothing on this page should be read as her view. We attribute every claim about the relationship to the excerpt.
- ‘Romancing the Stone,’ directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Douglas, reached U.S. theaters on March 30, 1984. Douglas and Turner reunited for ‘The Jewel of the Nile’ in December 1985 and ‘The War of the Roses’ in December 1989, and Turner later appeared on ‘The Kominsky Method.’
- After the book goes on sale October 6, 2026, the full text, reviews and any response from Turner could add context or change what is reported here. This page reflects only what was public as of October 2, 2026, and will be updated if that changes.
Michael Douglas says in his upcoming memoir, “One Helluva Ride,” that he and Kathleen Turner began a secret relationship while making “Romancing the Stone,” and that their long public denials were a lie. The claim comes from an excerpt People published on October 2, 2026, ahead of the book’s scheduled October 6 release. As of that date, Turner has not publicly commented, so everything below is Douglas’s account alone.
Whose memoir is this, and when does it come out?
It is Michael Douglas’s memoir, not Kathleen Turner’s: “One Helluva Ride” is scheduled for release on October 6, 2026, from Grand Central Publishing. The publisher describes it as Douglas’s life story told through twelve of his films. Turner’s own memoir, “Send Yourself Roses,” was written with Gloria Feldt and published in 2008. We have only seen the excerpt released ahead of publication, not the finished book, so we cannot say how the full text handles any of this.
What does Douglas say happened between him and Turner?
Douglas writes that he and Turner fell for each other during the production of “Romancing the Stone” and began a relationship that grew from friendship into romance. According to the excerpt, he describes being drawn to her intelligence, humor and distinctive voice, says the attraction was immediate and mutual, and says it deepened because they were working closely together under pressure. He writes that they kept it hidden and that director Robert Zemeckis and co-star Danny DeVito did not know.
On his own situation, Douglas writes that he went to Mexico “still technically married, but separated.” That is his wording, and we are not characterizing his marriage beyond it.
Why does Douglas say the story stayed quiet for so long?
Douglas says the public version of events was a lie that he and Turner told for roughly four decades. He writes that the official story was that they had remarkable chemistry and were both flirtatious, but that nothing happened between them. He says the denial was meant to protect his family at the time, and that they both kept to it for years, including around the sequel, “The War of the Roses” and press for “The Kominsky Method.” Those are Douglas’s claims about what both stars said, and the excerpt gives only his side.
How does Douglas say the relationship ended?
Douglas writes that it ended after his then-wife, Diandra, visited the Mexico set. In his telling, she was at some point alone with Turner and made clear that she and Douglas were still married, and he says her view of the terms of their separation differed from his. He writes that this gave Turner pause and that she did not want to interfere. He says the two then ended things and he went back to Diandra.
This is one participant’s recollection of private conversations. The coverage we reviewed includes no comment from Diandra Douglas, and we are not characterizing anyone’s motives.
Has Kathleen Turner responded?
As of October 2, 2026, we found no public comment from Kathleen Turner or her representatives on Douglas’s account. Coverage published the day the excerpt appeared, including entertainment outlets and rewrites of the original report, contained no statement from her. Because the excerpt is Douglas’s recollection alone, nothing on this page should be read as her view. If she comments, we will update this article.
What is “Romancing the Stone,” and how did the two stars work together afterward?
The film “Romancing the Stone” is an adventure comedy, directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Douglas, that was shot in Mexico in 1983 and released in the United States on March 30, 1984. Turner plays a New York romance novelist who travels to Colombia to rescue her sister from kidnappers, with help from an adventurer played by Douglas. DeVito co-stars.
Douglas and Turner reunited for “The Jewel of the Nile” in December 1985 and “The War of the Roses” in December 1989, and Turner later appeared on “The Kominsky Method,” the Netflix series starring Douglas.
What should readers keep in mind until the book is out?
Treat this as one person’s recollection of events from 1983, released ahead of the full book. “One Helluva Ride” goes on sale October 6, 2026, and the finished text, reviews and any response from Turner may add context or change what is reported here. Until then, we have only the excerpt People published, and we have attributed every claim about the relationship to it.