EXCLUSIVE: Michael Douglas Slammed Over 'Desperate' Memoir Bedroom Revelations

Michael Douglas is said to have stunned friends by using his memoir to share intimate revelations about his Hollywood relationships – with insiders accusing the Oscar-winning actor of resorting to "desperate" and "tabloid hack-style tactics" to sell his book.

As RadarOnline.com has reported, the 82-year-old star detailed his many sexual encounters and romantic relationships in his newly released, nearly 500-page autobiography, One Helluva Ride.

The book revisits his experiences making Hollywood hits, including Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction, while exploring his complicated relationship with his late father, screen legend Kirk Douglas, who died aged 103 in 2020.

However, the unusually explicit disclosures are said to have unsettled those close to Douglas, with one insider telling Radar that discussing his sexual history so publicly is being seen as a "desperate sales ploy."

The source claimed, "Michael has had one of the most extraordinary careers in Hollywood, which makes it all the more baffling that he's chosen to focus so heavily on his bedroom exploits. Some of his friends think it's a pretty desperate attempt to grab headlines and sales when his achievements should speak for themselves.

"He is connected to the highest echelons of the entertainment world, and there is the feeling this rather sleazy approach to his memoir was not very clever and that it had the feel of a tabloid hack about it.

"He could have gone so many other routes with it and been a lot more discreet about his lovers."

The insider noted, "There's also a feeling among people who know Michael that he's gone too far with some of these revelations. He's entitled to tell his own story, but dragging former partners and co-stars into intimate accounts of what happened decades ago has left some people shocked."

The insider went on: "Michael knows exactly how Hollywood works and he's certainly no fool. He would have known that talking about sleeping with famous actresses and revealing intimate details about the likes of Sharon Stone would generate enormous attention. That's what makes the whole thing feel so calculated.

"Some friends are struggling to understand why Michael feels the need to be quite so graphic at this stage of his life. He's an Oscar-winning actor with nothing left to prove, yet parts of the book read more like a tabloid exposé than the memoir of a Hollywood legend."

"The source noted, "There's also something rather uncomfortable about revealing private moments involving women who may not necessarily have wanted those experiences revisited in public. Michael might see it as being refreshingly honest, but not everyone is going to appreciate having their personal history discussed in such detail.

"The surprising thing is that Michael doesn't need the publicity or the money. He's enormously wealthy and has enjoyed decades of success. That's why some people are wondering whether this is really about selling books or simply making sure he's still being talked about.

"Michael has always been confident and outspoken, but there's a difference between telling entertaining stories about Hollywood and exposing the intimate details of past relationships. Some of his friends believe he's crossed that line, and they're genuinely surprised by how far he's gone."

"There's no denying that Michael has lived a fascinating life, and people would have been interested in his memoir regardless," the insider said. "But the bedroom revelations have almost overshadowed everything else, which is a shame when there are so many remarkable stories from his career worth celebrating."

Among the book's most revealing passages are recollections of filming the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct alongside Stone, now 68.

Douglas describes an intimate scene during which Stone initially wore a modesty covering before deciding to remove it.

He recalled Stone saying: "Let's stop pretending. I'm nude, we all know it. Let's go." The actor also revealed his facial hair caused discomfort during filming, leaving Stone's skin irritated.

According to the insider, the account was unnecessarily personal, particularly because Stone had not chosen to discuss those specific details publicly herself.

The revelations extend beyond the film's notoriously provocative scenes.

Douglas also disclosed he had a sexual relationship with another Basic Instinct co-star, Jeanne Tripplehorn, 63.

He maintained he had discussed including their relationship in the autobiography beforehand and Tripplehorn had no objection.

The actor further revisits past relationships involving actresses Brenda Vaccaro, 86, and Lee Purcell, 79, offering readers an unusually candid account of his romantic history.

Despite the criticism, the memoir also explores more affectionate aspects of Douglas' personal life.

He reflects on his relationship with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, 57, whom he married in 2000 after an extended courtship.

The couple's 25-year age difference has attracted considerable public attention throughout their marriage.

The movie star describes approaching their relationship differently from previous romances, explaining he was prepared to allow their connection to develop gradually.

He wrote: "What started as the two of us getting to know each other slowly turned into the longest courtship I had ever undertaken."

Douglas added: "I had always been inclined to slip right into physical intimacy, but with Catherine, I was willing to take whatever time we both needed."