EXCLUSIVE: Michael Douglas Gave Sharon Stone 'Chafed Thighs' During '5 Straight Days in Bed' While Filming Wild Intimate Scene
Michael Douglas opened up about his s-- scene with Sharon Stone.
Oct. 7 2026, Published 4:23 p.m. ET
Michael Douglas left his Basic Instinct co-star, Sharon Stone, with chafed thighs after filming an intimate scene over five long days.
In his memoir, One Helluva Ride, the legendary actor acknowledged Stone's beauty, but he also said the work stayed strictly professional, as there was nothing attractive about shooting s-- scenes, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Michael Douglas Dishes on Challenging Scene
Douglas and Stone worked with each other in 'Basic Instinct.'
Douglas described this scene as much more intense than similar work in his earlier movies, like Fatal Attraction.
"It wasn’t on the edge; it went a mile beyond it," he wrote.
According to Douglas, both actors vowed not to use body doubles, a common practice while filming more intimate and complicated scenes.
He clarified that production had "every shot and movement meticulously planned out and storyboarded." Nonetheless, they did hit a few speed bumps, primarily some chafing to Stone's thighs.
Douglas admitted he did "have to get my face very close to some rather delicate areas."
At one point, Stone stopped Douglas and asked him to "go easy," which only confused him. She pointed out that his stubble was "scratching her up." While he didn't quite believe her at first, he realized that "it was true."
"Her upper things were completely red and chafed," he said. "I felt horrible."
'Basic Instinct' Scene Called 'Compelling'
Douglas claimed filmmakers are still attempting to replicate the scene's success.
The difficult filming aside, Douglas spoke about the end result with pride. He explained in Hollywood, filmmakers attempt to find something "unique" about s-- scenes.
"Because of the opening scene of the film, the constant threat of violence runs underneath them," he recalled. "You don’t know if Catherine is going to kill me, so there’s a level of danger and tension that plays side by side with the heightened physicality."
"It made for a very compelling, unsettling combination," he added. "Actors and filmmakers have been trying to copy the s-- scenes in (Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction) for thirty years."
Douglas Confesses to Relationship With Jeanne Tripplehorn
Michael Douglas admitted he had a relationship with co-star Jeanne Tripplehorn.
Douglas described another s-- scene in the movie as "messy," given the real-life relationship he shared with actress Jeanne Tripplehorn, who played his therapist.
While many suspected he was hooking up with Stone, which he denied despite confessing to some other affairs, the true nature of his relationship with Tripplehorn created some added stress while filming in bed.
To make matters worse, Douglas was still technically married to Diandra Luker, though they were separated at the time.
"Jeanne and I took great pains to hide it from the cast and crew," he wrote. "Due to the controversy surrounding the movie, and the extensive press coverage (and the fact that while separated, I was still legally married), we had to take additional steps for our relationship to not be discovered."
Relationship Complicated by S-- Scene
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Jeanne Tripplehorn and Douglas also shared an intimate scene in 'Basic Instinct.'
Douglas claimed the added pressure made Tripplehorn "nervous," and, in one instance, she couldn't stop laughing.
"She finally stopped laughing, and we filmed an intense s-- scene where I tear her clothes and bite her. She asks me to stop, but I don’t," he added.
Nonetheless, they still found ways to be truly light-hearted on the set. Douglas recalled one time when Tripplehorn "joked that when she looked at the call sheet, they listed twelve pairs of rip-away panties."
"My relationship with Jeanne lasted through production, then we went our separate ways," Douglas explained. "But I will always think of her as an amazing actress and a truly terrific woman that I was very fortunate to spend time with."
