Paul Verhoeven refutes Sharon Stones' controversial claims about 'Basic Instinct' nudity

Sharon Stone published her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice on March 31, and with it came a revelation about 1992 crime thriller Basic Instinct.

In this particularly memorable scene, crime novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone) crosses her legs while being interrogated as a suspect in the murder of rockstar Johnny Boz (Bill Cable). Midway through questioning, Stone throws a question at Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) and uncrosses then recrosses her legs in a way that exposes her private parts.

While Stone wrote that she had been directed to remove her underwear to film the scene because her white dress was "reflecting the light (h/t BBC)," director Paul Verhoeven is refuting any allegation that the scene was shot with ulterior motives.

"My memory is radically different from Sharon’s memory," Verhoeven told Variety. "That does not stand in the way and has nothing to do with the wonderful way that she portrayed Catherine Tramell. She is absolutely phenomenal. We still have a pleasant relationship and exchange text messages. But her version is impossible."

The 82-year-old continued: "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 did the crossing of 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."

According to Stone, she didn't know viewers would be able to see anything until she saw it herself at a screening.

"It didn't matter anymore," the Oscar-nominated actress wrote. "It was me and my parts up there. I had decisions to make. I went to the projection booth, slapped Paul across the face, left, went to my car, and called my lawyer."

Ultimately, though, she didn't take any legal action: "I did have choices. So I thought and thought, and I chose to allow this scene in the film. Why? Because it was correct for the film and for the character; and because, after all, I did it."

To be fair, Stone also wrote that Basic Instinct was "the most freeing thing I have ever done" (h/t Entertainment Weekly).

The 63-year-old stroke survivor previously made headlines late last month when this Zoomer Magazine profile began circulating. In it, Stone said, in part, that "Meryl Streep iconography is part of what Hollywood does to women."

Because of how the internet took her comments and ran, she clarified her stance: