Kathleen Turner Reacts to Michael Douglas’ Confession About Their Past Affair
The Romancing the Stone stars spent decades denying they had a relationship off-screen. Douglas has now revealed what he says really happened, while Turner has responded with little concern about the decades-old revelation.
Kathleen Turner has responded after Michael Douglas revealed that the two actors had a secret romantic relationship while filming Romancing the Stone in 1984 — a relationship they publicly denied for roughly four decades.
Turner addressed the revelation in a brief statement to PEOPLE, appearing more amused than concerned by the sudden attention surrounding a chapter of her life that happened more than 40 years ago.
“Good heavens what a fuss about something 40 years ago!” Turner said. “I love Michael and I look forward to enjoying the book.”
The comment came after an excerpt from Douglas’ forthcoming memoir, One Helluva Ride, revealed that the chemistry audiences noticed between the pair was not limited to the screen.
What Michael Douglas revealed about Kathleen Turner
In the memoir excerpt, Douglas says he and Turner became romantically involved during the production of Romancing the Stone, which was filmed in Mexico.
According to Douglas’ account, the attraction was immediate. He describes Turner as smart, funny and attractive, and says their relationship developed as they spent increasing amounts of time together during production.
The revelation is significant because Douglas and Turner had spent decades giving the opposite public account.
Douglas says they repeatedly denied that anything romantic happened while promoting Romancing the Stone, its sequel The Jewel of the Nile, The War of the Roses and, years later, The Kominsky Method. He now says those denials were intended to protect his family at the time.
Douglas was separated from his first wife, Diandra Luker, during the filming, but they were still legally married. He says the relationship with Turner eventually ended after Luker visited the set in Mexico with their young son, Cameron.
According to Douglas’ recollection, Turner did not want to interfere with the marriage and the two ended their relationship. Douglas then returned to Luker, although he later wrote that their marriage was never the same after the separation.
Turner’s response is notably relaxed
Rather than revisiting the details of the relationship publicly, Turner appeared to brush aside the renewed attention.
Her statement also made clear that there is no apparent bitterness toward Douglas. She said she loves him and is looking forward to reading his memoir.
That reaction also fits the relationship the two actors maintained after their brief romance.
Turner and Douglas continued working together following Romancing the Stone. They reunited for The Jewel of the Nile in 1985 and The War of the Roses in 1989. Decades later, they appeared together again on The Kominsky Method.
Douglas has said that he asked Turner for permission before including the story in his memoir, suggesting that the revelation was not made without at least some discussion between the longtime friends.
Why the revelation is arriving now
The story is resurfacing because One Helluva Ride is scheduled to be released on October 6, 2026. The memoir has already generated attention through the advance excerpt detailing Douglas’ relationship with Turner.
For audiences who grew up watching the pair in Romancing the Stone, the disclosure also adds a new layer to one of Hollywood’s most recognizable on-screen partnerships.
Their characters, Jack Colton and Joan Wilder, were written as a romantic pairing, while Douglas now says the attraction between the actors themselves became real away from the cameras.
Still, Turner’s response suggests she does not view the revelation as something that needs to redefine their decades-long relationship.
More than 40 years after the events described in Douglas’ memoir, the two remain connected by a long professional history — and Turner appears content to leave the old romance where it belongs: in the past.
