Michael Douglas Reveals Memoir Confessions on Hollywood Career

Michael Douglas has revealed personal and professional conflicts from his Hollywood career in his memoir One Helluva Ride, including casting disputes, past relationships, substance abuse struggles and family challenges that shaped his life as an actor and producer.

According to Fox News Digital, Douglas wrote about an incident involving Debra Winger during efforts to cast her in Romancing the Stone. He said the encounter influenced his view of whether she should join the project.

"We took Debra to dinner and, once again, it was an epic meal. Any time you have dinner with Jack or Danny, it’s a riot. … But the real goal of the dinner was to get Debra on board to make Romancing the Stone, and no matter how hard we tried, she would not give us an answer, one way or the other. We were stuck in limbo.

Stories had filtered back that Debra was delivering an incredible performance in Terms of Endearment, but also that she was difficult during shooting and had huge, blow-out fights with Shirley MacLaine. We all left the restaurant and were walking down the street when, the way somebody might punch you in the arm as you part company, Debra leaned over and bit me. I mean, she really bit me.

Jesus, I had a whole set of teeth marks dug into my arm. We still had no answer from her, but that bite sealed the deal for me. No, thank you!" said Michael Douglas, actor and producer.

Douglas also described reenacting the incident for Fox executives before Kathleen Turner was eventually cast in the role. He said the studio initially resisted because Winger was a major star.

"She bit me. Hard. Look at the teeth marks in my arm," said Michael Douglas, actor and producer.

The memoir also recounts a confrontation involving Julia Roberts at a Golden Globes party when Douglas attended with his 13-year-old son Cameron. Douglas wrote that he later apologized to Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland.

"I told her, ‘Take your hands off my son and take that Golden Globe and stick it where the sun don’t shine,’" said Michael Douglas, actor and producer.

Douglas wrote that his early career included a relationship with Lee Purcell while filming Adam at 6 A.M. Purcell disputed his account, telling Fox News Digital that she remembered their relationship as professional during filming.

"As filming progressed, my relationship with Lee changed and we became lovers. Our intimate relationship was complicated by the fact that she was married, and we had to keep it a secret from the cast, crew, the people in the town we were filming in, and of course her husband. It was a passionate affair that lasted through filming," said Michael Douglas, actor and producer.

"This story came as a complete surprise to me. I have fond memories of Michael and our time together. However, our recall appears to differ.

First, I remember the process of searching for his character of Adam after having already been hired by Steve McQueen for the role of Jerri Jo. Secondly, we had a strictly professional relationship during filming. The personal one came much later," said Lee Purcell.

Douglas described his first marriage to Diandra Luker as deteriorating amid substance abuse and infidelity. He wrote that Luker gave him an ultimatum that led him to enter Sierra Tucson rehabilitation clinic in Arizona in 1992.

"Rehab or divorce," said Michael Douglas, actor and producer.

Douglas also addressed a tabloid story that he said mischaracterized his treatment history. He wrote that he had struggled with alcohol and drug abuse but rejected the label that followed the publication of that story.

"The story that was printed was utter bulls—. I had made mistakes, had moments I wasn’t proud of, made choices I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t high, but I was never a f---ing sex addict," said Michael Douglas, actor and producer.