Sharon Stone Reveals Her Most Famous Movie Caused Her To Lose Custody Of Her Son
Sharon Stone shared that a judge ruled against her having custody because she "made sex movies," referring to her Basic Instinct role.
Sharon Stone may have recently stolen the show on Saturday Night Live and one of the most popular sex symbols of the 90s, but all of that fame came at a price. BuzzFeed News reports just how that price was after a judge ruled against Stone in a custody hearing, citing her role in Basic Instinct. As it turns out, the real story behind one of the most famous scenes in Hollywood is more dramatic and more heartbreaking than the plot of the film.
The 1992 erotic thriller was directed by Paul Verhoeven, the same man behind Robocop and Starship Troopers, and allegedly, he tricked Stone into the famous pantie-less shot. According to the actress, she was told that her white underwear reflected in the light and showed up on camera through her dress, so she removed them. No one told the star that the camera was angled to go between her legs during the most famous uncrossing of legs in history.
According to the Catwoman star, no one told her what the scene captured until she was watching a screening alongside industry professionals when suddenly there was a flash of flesh between her legs. Mortified, Stone tried to block the film from being released, going so far as to consult with her lawyer on seeking an injunction against the studio, Verhoeven, and anyone that could be blamed for the treatment. Today, if a studio tried doing this to a star, they would be sued out of existence, and that’s partial because of Sharon Stone’s experience.
12 years later, in 2004, a judge said, “Do you know your mother makes sex movies?” to her young son during a custody hearing. Ultimately the judge gave custody to the father, Phil Bronstein, despite how the “sex movie” was more tame and chaste than most direct-to-streaming movies are today. As the actress explained on the Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast, things would be very different if they happened 20 years later.
Today, intimacy coordinators are a common sight on sets and are specially trained to ensure everyone is comfortable and respected during filming. If one of them were on the set of Basic Instinct, the movie would have been shut down when the male crew tricked their lead actress into disrobing on camera. A custody case that uses a performer’s body of work against them would result in a firestorm on social media and, most likely, multiple lawsuits with a high probability of success.
Sharon Stone is now a single mom with her son, Roan, now 22, and the siblings she adopted, giving her guardianship of a 17 and 16-year-old as well. Frequently appearing on their mom’s social media feed, the family looks to be happy and content with one another, despite the inane legal ruling 18 years ago.
Recently, the iconic actress starred in The Flight Attendant alongside Kaley Cuoco and Rita Ora‘s music video for “You Only Love Me.” Next, she’ll star with Andy Garcia in the drama What About Love, about two parents that find love from their children’s experiences. 30 years after being tricked into exposing herself, and 14 since losing custody of her child, Sharon Stone gets the last laugh.
