Sharon Stone's Iconic Basic Instinct Role Resulted in Bitter Family Drama
The actress revealed how one of her most memorable appearances was weaponized against her by a divorce judge.
Sharon Stone has had a long and successful acting career. Known for her roles as femme fatales and women of mystery, she quickly became a sex symbol in the 1990s.
But one of her most iconic roles, which included arguably the most famous steamy moment in movie history, led to some tragic, unforeseen consequences.
In 1992, Sharon starred in Basic Instinct, a neo-noir erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven.
The story followed San Francisco police detective Nick Curran, portrayed by Michael Douglas, as he investigated the brutal murder of a wealthy rock star and eventually became attracted to prime suspect Catherine Tramell, brought to life by Stone.
Despite a relatively mixed reception, the film was later recognized for its groundbreaking depictions of sexuality in mainstream Hollywood cinema.
However, the role was later used against the actress in her 2004 divorce case, during the fight for custody of her son, Roan, whom she adopted with then-husband Phil Bronstein in 2000.
On the Table for Two podcast, Sharon said:
"I lost custody of my child. When the judge asked my child – my tiny little boy: "Do you know your mother makes sex movies?" Like, this kind of abuse by the system – that I was considered what kind of parent I was, because I made that movie."
She later elaborated on the famous interrogation scene where a certain part of her body was briefly shown:
"People are walking around with no clothes on at all on regular TV now and you saw maybe like a 16th of a second of possible nudity of me – and I lost custody of my child. Are you kidding?"
Stone was eventually granted visitation with her son. However, she said the stress of the judge's decision contributed to her being hospitalized with heart problems later that year.
Fans seem divided over Stone's confession. While some express support and kind words, others remain skeptical.
They accuse her of deflecting blame for her career and personal failures, claiming that she's still unwilling to take responsibility for what might have really led to her losing custody.