Michael Douglas Discusses Kathleen Turner Tension Over Romancing the Stone Sequel
Michael Douglas writes in his memoir One Helluva Ride that he had an affair with Kathleen Turner while filming 1984's Romancing the Stone and was still married to Diandra Luker. During a book talk, he recalled ending the romance and returning to Diandra, then facing Turner's reluctance to make the sequel The Jewel of the Nile. Turner was unhappy with the sequel script and resisted returning for the follow-up.
Michael Douglas, 82, writes in One Helluva Ride that his affair with Kathleen Turner, 72, occurred while filming 1984’s Romancing the Stone and while he was married to Diandra Luker. At a weekend book talk at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre, he said he ended the romance, returned to Diandra, and they had a child.
A sequel, The Jewel of the Nile, was commissioned by 20th Century Fox after the Robert Zemeckis film’s box-office success. Both actors were contractually obligated. Turner preferred The Money Pit, later starring Shelley Long and Tom Hanks. Douglas, also a producer, was willing; Turner resisted, considering the offered screenplay poor.
This revelation may shape how fans view Douglas and Turner’s on-screen chemistry and off-screen history. It could renew discussion about workplace romances, marital fidelity, and power dynamics on film sets, affecting how audiences interpret older Hollywood collaborations. For those involved, renewed attention may bring personal scrutiny, while memoir readers and entertainment media may focus on accountability, nostalgia, and the distance between public personas and private choices.