Jeanne Tripplehorn has been seen in Los Angeles for the first time since Michael Douglas disclosed their on-set affair during the making of Basic Instinct.
Tripplehorn, 63, was photographed stepping out for coffee with her husband, actor Leland Orser, on the day Douglas’s memoir, One Helluva Ride, was published.
She appeared casually dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, with her hair pulled back into a low bun and dark sunglasses shielding her eyes.
Tripplehorn played Dr Beth Garner, a police psychologist and love interest to Douglas’s detective, Nick Curran, in Paul Verhoeven’s 1992 thriller. The film also starred Sharon Stone as murder suspect Catherine Tramell.
In his autobiography, Douglas wrote that he became “crazy about” Tripplehorn and considered leaving his first wife, model Diandra Luker, for her.
He said he eventually decided that moving directly from his 15-year marriage into another relationship would have been the “worst thing” for him. Douglas also wrote that Tripplehorn had initially been unwilling to become involved with a married man, but that he told her he and Luker had formally separated.
Douglas described his marriage to Luker at the time as a “bumpy ride”, claiming they were living “separate lives” and seeing other people. The couple ultimately split three years after the release of Basic Instinct.
According to Douglas’s account, the relationship with Tripplehorn continued throughout production before they went their separate ways. He said he had kept the romance hidden from the film’s cast and crew.
He recalled that their real-life intimacy made filming the couple’s sexual scenes difficult, saying Tripplehorn became nervous and laughed in front of the crew.
Douglas also described a scene in which his character bites the back of her neck. He said they agreed the details carefully during rehearsals and that he checked she was comfortable after each take, although Tripplehorn was left with bruising that had to be concealed by the hair and make-up team.
Douglas wrote that he later contacted Tripplehorn to ask permission to include their history in the memoir, and that she agreed.
Tripplehorn met Orser while working on the 1998 comedy Very Bad Things, several years after her relationship with Douglas had ended. They married in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2000 and have a son, August, who was born two years later.
Douglas married Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000. They have two children together, Dylan and Carys.
Representatives for Douglas, Tripplehorn and Orser were contacted for comment.
