Sharon Stone Reveals She Lost Custody of Her Son After “Basic Instinct” Role

Sharon Yvonne Stone has gained recognition as a legendary figure in the world of cinema. Her notable performances in acclaimed movies have become her trademark. However, her fame in one of those movies came with a serious setback. Her role as Catherine Tramell alongside Michael Douglas in the 1992 erotic thriller, Basic Instinct, led a judge to conclude she was an unfit parent for her son, Roan.

A difficult custody battle

Sharon Stone shared details about the difficult custody battle she experienced in 2004 with her ex-husband, Phil Bronstein. The lengthy and tumultuous court battle resulted in Bronstein being awarded primary custody of their eldest son, Roan, while Stone received visitation rights.

The 65-year-old actress reflected on the impact of the court’s judgment on the case. She became emotional while recalling the disturbing events and how her career, particularly her image as a femme fatale, was used against her in the case. She openly expressed her belief that the system’s treatment of her, considering the type of parent she was for making Basic Instinct, was a form of pressure.

The actress revealed that during the court proceedings, the judge asked her young son if he was aware that his mother appeared in intimate scenes in her movies. The star expressed frustration at how her role in the film impacted the court’s perception of her parenting abilities.

Furthermore, Stone pointed out the double standards in society, where explicit content is commonplace on streaming services like Netflix, yet she lost custody of her child after just a brief moment of being exposed in the film.

The aftermath of Basic Instinct filming

The mother to 3 sons further expressed how losing custody of her eldest boy had taken a physical and emotional toll on her. “It broke my heart,” she said. She revealed that the experience resulted in her being hospitalized with extra heartbeats in the upper and lower chambers of her heart.

In a previous interview, Stone discussed the challenges of working on Basic Instinct, noting that the pressure on set was too intense. Director Paul Verhoeven even ended up in the hospital due to a ruptured sinus.

Stone and her son, Roan, have a close relationship now.

Despite the difficulties, the Oscar-nominated actress has since adopted Roan’s 2 brothers and written about her experiences as a mother in a 2019 article. “When you adopt, you [realize] any child could be your child, any person could be your relative... After that, you never see the world in the same way again,” the actress noted.

At present, she shares a close bond with all sons, Roan, 22; Laird, 17; and Quinn, 16; and they live together in West Hollywood.