Roots of a Long‑Standing Rivalry
During a recent appearance on Lisa Guerrero’s podcast, the actor Billy Baldwin, now 63, traced the origins of his feud with Sharon Stone back to the 1993 erotic thriller Sliver. He described the atmosphere on set as “miserable” for everyone involved, recalling that the tension began to fester after the initial weeks of filming. According to Baldwin, the breakdown in relations started when Stone reportedly stopped greeting him, a silence that persisted for three months. The pair have been at odds ever since, a rift that has resurfaced in the public eye on multiple occasions.
Baldwin also referenced a claim made by model and photographer Janice Dickinson, who has previously denied the story. He said that Dickinson told him Stone intended to “make him fall so hard for me it’s going to make his bleeping head spin.”
The Kiss That Never Happened
The climax of the dispute centres on a love scene in Sliver. Baldwin explained that he had asked producers not to shoot the intimate moments, insisting he could perform the action without a kiss. When the scene was scheduled, he told the production team, “I can do the scene but just please don’t make me kiss her… I can’t kiss her.” He claimed that his refusal was motivated by his existing relationship with singer Chynna Phillips, with whom he had been together for 18 months at the time. The pair married in 1995 and remain together more than three decades later.
Stone, meanwhile, has alleged that producer Robert Evans tried to coerce her into sleeping with Baldwin to “save the movie.” In 2024, the Basic Instinct star recounted Evans’s infamous line: “If I could sleep with Billy, then we would have chemistry on‑screen, and if I would just have sex with him then that would save the movie.”
Producer Pressure and Alleged Advances
Baldwin claimed that Evans extended the same suggestion to him during rehearsals. According to the actor, the producer warned, “I keep getting reports that there’s incredibly bad tension… We know what it’s all about. There’s all this pent‑up sexual energy tension between the two of you. Just do it and get it over with. Unleash the horses and let’s see what happens on screen.”
The comments have reignited old social‑media exchanges. In a 2024 post, Baldwin asked, “Not sure why Sharon Stone keep talking about me all these years later? Does she still have a crush on me or is she still hurt after all these years because I shunned her advances?” The exchange underscores the lingering personal animosity that has spilled into the public domain.
A Desire to Put the Past Behind
Despite his harsh words, Baldwin left the door open for reconciliation. “After everything I’ve said, I would love to bury the hatchet. I would love to see Sharon Stone and shake her hand, and give her a hug,” he said, signalling a willingness to move beyond the decades‑old feud. The actress has not commented on the latest remarks, leaving the possibility of an apology or clarification uncertain.
Why it Matters
The spat between Baldwin and Stone illustrates how past professional pressures can evolve into lasting personal grievances, affecting not only the individuals involved but also the broader film community’s perception of workplace dynamics. Their story highlights the importance of clear boundaries and respectful collaboration on set, especially when high‑stakes productions involve intense intimate scenes. Moreover, the public airing of such disputes reminds audiences and industry insiders alike that even celebrated talent can be vulnerable to the lingering fallout of unresolved tensions, underscoring the need for better support systems and conflict‑resolution protocols within the entertainment sector.
