In the early 1990s, Sharon Stone became one of the most talked-about actresses in Hollywood. After a successful modeling career, she gained worldwide fame thanks to Basic Instinct, where she played the enigmatic writer Catherine Tramell. The film — filled with tension, eroticism, and psychological intrigue — created a huge public sensation. Yet this very role, which became a symbol of its era, ultimately had damaging consequences for her personal life.
The movie earned over 350 million dollars globally and turned Stone into an international star and a symbol of sexuality. Behind the glamorous image, however, lay a painful chapter: the actress lost custody of her eldest son, Roan, whom the court awarded to her former husband, Phil Bronstein.
Stone has said in interviews that her role in Basic Instinct was a decisive factor in the court’s ruling. According to her, the judge questioned the child — who was still very young — about his mother appearing in erotic films. Stone later described the process as a form of systemic mistreatment and believed that her on-screen image heavily influenced the court’s perception of her as a parent. The emotional toll of the custody battle contributed to serious health issues, and she was hospitalized with tachycardia.
Sharon Stone with Roan
Motherhood had never been an easy path for Stone. After experiencing nine miscarriages, she and Bronstein adopted Roan, who was born in 2000. After the divorce, she continued to grow her family: in 2005, a surrogate mother gave birth to her second son, Laird Vonne, and the following year she adopted a third boy, Quinn Kelly.
Today, Stone says she does not regret her choices. She has emphasized that she is grateful for prioritizing motherhood over Hollywood, especially since the industry, in her view, would never have placed her first.
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