Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, who directed the 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller Basic Instinct, recently refuted actor Sharon Stone’s claim that she was “tricked” into showing frontal nudity in the film. Verhoeven told in a recent interview, “My memory is radically different from Sharon’s memory. That does not stand in the way and has nothing to do with the wonderful way that she portrayed Catherine Tramell.”
Speaking about his current dynamic with the actor, he added, “She is absolutely phenomenal. We still have a pleasant relationship and exchange text messages.” Verhoeven further went on to say that Stone’s version of events was “impossible”.
Stone had previously claimed in her memoir that the director told her the light was reflecting poorly off her underwear, and that she was asked to remove them. However, Stone’s claim was that she had not known the frontal nudity would be included in the film.
Talking about her claim, Verhoeven added, “But, her version is impossible. She knew exactly what we were doing. I told her it was based on a story of a woman that I knew when I was a student who crossed her legs without panties regularly at parties. When my friend told her we could see her vagina, she said, ‘Of course, that’s why I do it.’ Then Sharon and I decided to do a similar sequence,” Verhoeven alleged.
Sharon Stone starred in the 1992 film and its sequel in 2006.
