Michael Douglas Had Intimate Talks With Rob Reiner About Troubled Sons Before Filmmaker's Murder
Michael Douglas has opened up about his friendship with the the late Rob Reiner.
Oct. 6 2026, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
Michael Douglas has shared intimate talks with Rob Reiner about their troubled sons before the filmmaker's brutal murder, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Falling Down star, 82, offered fresh insight into the pair’s relationship in his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, in which he tells how they found common ground in helping their sons with drug addiction.
'We Were Both At The End Of Our Rope'
Michael Douglas's son Cameron battled drug issues growing up in Hollywood.
The actor noted how his son Cameron, 47, publicly struggled with addiction and how his own experience gave him a connection with Reiner, whose son Nick Reiner also had a long history of substance abuse.
Douglas writes: "We both had sons with serious drug issues and we both, at times, had been at the end of our rope."
The Wall Street star describes their conversations as a painful but meaningful exchange that offered both men some comfort during some of the tumultuous periods.
He notes: "It was a heartbreaking confessional for us, but I know we gave each other some measure of comfort during the hard times."
Pals Spoke About 'What You Can And Cannot Do As a Parent'
Nick Reiner was arrested and later charged in connection with his parents' murder.
Reiner directed Douglas in the 1995 political comedy The American President, for which Douglas received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.
The pair went on to work together again on the 2014 film And So It Goes. Douglas spoke up about Reiner after the director and his wife Michele singer’s deaths in 2025.
Their son Nick was arrested and later charged in connection with their deaths.
As part of CBS' Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life special, Douglas said dealing with the addiction of his own son, Cameron, helped him relate to Reiner and the problems with his son, Nick.
Douglas said: "I also had a son who had had drug issues. I’m happy to say he’s overcome them and living a prosperous life."
The two-time Oscar winner added that he and Reiner would "talk a lot about that and what you can do as a parent, what you can’t do."
Douglas paid tribute to Rob Reiner after his death.
Douglas called Reiner's death a "terrible tragedy," later adding, "Knowing with all of that going on behind the scenes, this was a man who always gave it his best."
Cameron was released from prison in 2016 after serving roughly seven years in prison for drug-related charges.
Elsewhere in his new memoir, Douglas came clean about one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets, admitting that he and co-star Kathleen Turner fell hard for each other and became secret lovers while filming 1984's iconic adventure romance Romancing the Stone.
Douglas, who was a producer on the film, became enchanted with Turner, now 72, during their initial meeting about the project.
Michael Douglas Talks Kathleen Turner
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Douglas admitted to romance with former co-star Kathleen Turner in his book.
"Kathleen was smart, funny, and sexy with a deep, sultry voice that became her signature. I instantly liked her, and we were immediately attracted to each other," he writes.
Douglas confessed that audiences had every right to believe he and Turner were having an affair.
"The chemistry I had with Kathleen Turner was so strong, audiences have been certain for years that we were in a relationship together while making the film," Douglas writes in his memoir.
