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Sharon Stone is sounding off on what she sees as a shift in how sexuality is portrayed on screen.
The “Basic Instinct” icon said today’s on-screen intimacy has lost the very thing that once made it powerful — mystery.
In a candid sit-down interview, Stone reflected on the infamous scene that helped define her career.
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“Sharon, when you look at your legendary career, what do you think about — I remember when ‘Basic Instinct’ came out? Cross the legs, uncross the legs,” anchor Gayle King said. “And I remember — ‘is she wearing panties?’ — that’s how crazy it all became, right?”
Sharon Stone previously criticized Hollywood’s alleged double standard on nudity, questioning why society fears the human body but tolerates violence on screen. ( JB Lacroix/FilmMagic)
“Right. It was a third of a frame,” Stone fired back. “It wasn’t even an entire frame of film.”
“And so, people were desperately trying to figure it out,” she continued. “And I think that that idea of ‘oh my god,’ this hope, this wonder, this mystery, this intrigue, this yearning is something that is what all of our profound sexuality is based in.”
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“So often now, when sex scenes come on TV — I fast-forward,” she said. “I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to have to go through all of this blatant, harsh sexuality. For me, it steals from my own imagination. And I prefer my yearning, mystery, desire. I want to keep that alive inside myself.”
The actress also acknowledged the lasting impact of her breakout role — and the complicated legacy that followed.
“But that did change the trajectory of your career, it seems,” King noted.
Sharon Stone said the fallout from her role in “Basic Instinct” cost her dearly, claiming she lost custody of her child and was treated cruelly by others. (Getty Images)
“Oh my God, it changed everything,” Stone responded.
When asked how she feels about it today, Stone was candid about the personal cost.
“In many ways, I feel like I wasn’t protected and taken care of. And then in many ways, I feel I was punished for the behavior of others,” she said.
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“You know, I lost custody of my child… My child was put on the stand in custody court and asked if his mother did sex movies. I mean, things that were bizarrely inappropriate,” Stone explained. “People treated me in ways that were … very cruel and unkind, as if I was some sort of slatternly, vulgar person.”
“Like you were wearing a scarlet A on your head,” King added.
“Yeah, I mean, you know, I played a character — 30 years ago. Like, grow up,” Stone said.
Stone’s remarks echo frustrations she voiced earlier this year, when she took aim at what she described as Hollywood’s double standard surrounding nudity.
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Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone dancing in a scene from the film “Basic Instinct,” in 1992. (TriStar/Getty Images)
In an Instagram video posted in February, the 68-year-old actress criticized what she sees as hypocrisy after a film crew allegedly asked her to remove a painting of a nude woman from view during a shoot inside her home.
“Are we supposed to be terrified when we look in the mirror?” she asked in part. “Is it supposed to be a secret when we pee and poo and brush our teeth? Oh, are you supposed to look in there and go, ‘Oh, why are we supposed to be afraid of our own human self?’”
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In the caption accompanying the video, Stone expanded on her thoughts, arguing that society remains uncomfortable with the human body while tolerating other forms of content.
“Why in 2026 are we still afraid of aging & living in our own selves? We are more than appearance. We are artists, mothers, sisters, wives, nurses, teachers … and the list goes on!” she wrote.
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“I got really fired up about this when I was touring my studio a few weeks back. The filming crew had requested to move a painting out of shot, ‘the Goddess,’ whom happens to be a naked woman. We are afraid of nudity on our screens, our bodies, our home… but not violence or every other thing we are constantly bombarded with day in and day out?”
“Get real!” she concluded.
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Stone has continued to embrace her most iconic role during her illustrious Hollywood career.
In 2024, she paid homage to her “Basic Instinct” character, Catherine Tramell, by recreating the film’s signature leg-crossing moment in a bold Instagram post.
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Dressed in red lace lingerie and seated in a white-and-gold chair, Stone paired the look with blue heels and a pearl necklace, offering a modern twist on the scene that once sparked global debate.
The famed actress rose to fame in the 1990s with breakthrough roles in “Basic Instinct” and “Casino.”