Make Page Six a Preferred Source Michael Douglas insisted his upcoming memoir is not “full of sex” — and denied his rumored sex addiction — in a tense new interview.
When the topic was broached by a Sunday Times reporter, in a profile published over the weekend, the actor said he only mentions “a couple” partners in “One Helluva Ride.”
The journalist subsequently pointed out that Douglas recalled needing to end things “with five women” before getting serious with now-wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, to which he replied, “No, no, it’s not what it was.”
Douglas continued, “What Catherine said is, if we’re going to continue this then I want it to be monogamous. And so I therefore, that evening, you know, made some calls to some people I was seeing, and that was that.”
The reporter noted, “In the following silence, his expression suggests that he thinks he’s just corrected me.”
Douglas, 82, also denied sleeping “with so many women” in his life, saying in the Sunday interview that he doesn’t “see it that way.”
The Oscar winner added, “No, not me, no. I was a healthy product of the ’60s. My curiosity is why, of all countries, of all the press that I do, why are the Brits so consumed with the issues of sex?”
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His tone, per the writer, was “accusatory and his eyes narrow” at this point during the sitdown.
The “Basic Instinct” star went on to address a decades-old rumor that he went to rehab for sex addiction in the ’90s, claiming the report “wasn’t true.”
Douglas alleged, “A British tabloid editor came up with this story, which, thank you very much, here we are talking about at 82. It happens with the tabloids and, well, I won’t blame your country alone, but you’re probably better known for it than most. It wasn’t true.”
According to the outlet, the Golden Globe winner writes in his book that he “was never a f–king sex addict.”
In the memoir, Douglas does, however, admit to the love affair with his “Romancing the Stone” co-star Kathleen Turner that the pair kept secret for 40 years.
The Emmy winner referred to their love story on the 1984 set as a “magic spell” and more than a “fly-by-night affair” — and Turner, 72, dismissed all the “fuss” about the dalliance on Friday.
The duo’s rendezvous took place while Douglas was married but separated from first wife Diandra Luker, whom he divorced in 2000.
Douglas wed Zeta-Jones, 57, later that same year, and the “Kominsky Method” alum reflected on their brief 2013 breakup in Sunday’s interview.
When asked how he “won her back” at the time, Douglas took issue with the phrasing before replying, “It was a mutual … You know, we had our problems but I love her dearly and, 25 years, you know.”
Allegedly narrowing his eyes again, Douglas told the reporter, “I mean, I don’t know about your marital status, but marriage is a lot of work, you know. And so, you know, we’re good. We’re in good shape. It’s all I can say.”
Douglas’ rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
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