The 1992 film Basic Instinct not only earned Sharon Stone significant acclaim, including her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress, but also solidified her position as a leading figure in the industry.
However, the success also had its adverse side for the actress, as Stone later revealed her surprise and discomfort upon seeing the interrogation scene from the film, even recounting an incident where she reportedly slapped the director.
Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven has addressed these claims in an interview with Deadline, asserting that Stone had willingly participated in filming the scene and refuted any conflicts with the 66-year-old actress.
Paul Verhoeven Claimed Sharon Stone Willingly Filmed the Interrogation Scene
The Basic Instinct director, Paul Verhoeven, addressed the claims made by Sharon Stone in her memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice. The actress claimed that she was tricked into removing her underwear for the infamous interrogation scene in the 1992 film.
The filmmaker, however, has denied such claims as he explained what really happened behind the scenes. Verhoeven shared that the scene was based on a woman he met when he was a student. “She would come up to us and she would open her legs,” he told Deadline.
The Total Recall director recalled sharing the same story with Stone during the shoot, and “she thought it would be great idea to do that.” He further implied that the suggestive dialogue and scene about her character not wearing underwear was already in the script.
“When you see the scene just before the interrogation, you see [she is getting dressed]. Michael is looking at that, and she puts her dress on, and she has no underwear,” he said before adding, “So that was already in the script.”
However, he also claimed Stone uncrossing her legs was a collaborative decision between them after he shared the story with the Oscar-nominated actress. Although it contradicted Stone’s claims, the filmmaker asserted that it was his story.
Paul Verhoeven Claims He Has No Conflicts With Sharon Stone
In her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, actress Sharon Stone recounted what happened while filming the infamous scene in the Oscar-nominated film Basic Instinct. She revealed that she was told “to remove [her] panties” while filming.
The Sliver actress also claimed that she slapped the filmmaker upon seeing the scene for the first time. “I went to the projection booth, slapped Paul across the face, left, went to my car, and called my lawyer,” she recalled. Paul Verhoeven, however, has declined her claim and any conflicts between them.
Describing it all as “nonsense” the filmmaker said, “She didn’t slap me at all” He further asserted, “We are on good terms, Sharon and I.” He has shared the same claim on numerous occasions and has stated that they have a “pleasant relationship” with the actress, arguing that her version of events is impossible.
Basic Instinct is available to stream on Prime Video.
