Sharon Stone claims she was tricked into removing her underwear for the iconic Basic Instinct film scene

Sharon Stone has claimed she was tricked into removing her underwear for the iconic 'leg cross' - a standout film scene in 1992 movie Basic Instinct.

The actress, now aged 63, explains how she was tricked into getting rid of her undergarments ahead of filming her saucy scenes and made the claims about her breakout role in her new memoir The Beauty of Living Twice.

In extractions from the book, obtained by Vanity Fair, Sharon discusses some of the upsetting experiences she's faced throughout her career - one of which was how she ended up removing her panties for one scene in Basic Instinct. The film follows the life of a beautiful crime novelist, Catherine Tramell, played by Sharon, as she becomes a suspect in the investigation of the brutal death of a rock star.

Speaking about the first time she watched back the final finish of the movie "with a room full of agents and lawyers, most of whom had nothing to do with the project." Sharon claims she was previously told they 'couldn't see' her vagina.

"That was how I saw my vagina-shot for the first time, long after I'd been told, 'We can't see anything—I just need you to remove your panties, as the white is reflecting the light, so we know you have panties on,' " Sharon wrote. 

"Yes, there have been many points of view on this topic, but since I'm the one with the vagina, in question, let me say: The other points of view are bulls**t … It was me and my parts up there."

After the viewing, Sharon said she slapped director "Paul [Verhoeven] across the face, left, went to my car, and called my lawyer, Marty Singer."

And while her lawyer advised her that the movie could not be made, according to the Screen Actors Guild. "It wasn't legal to shoot up my dress in this fashion," she learned. Sharon still agreed to keep the clip in the film. 

She explained why by writing, "I let Paul know of the options Marty had laid out for me. Of course, he vehemently denied that I had any choices at all. I was just an actress, just a woman; what choices could I have?" she recalled. 

"But 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."

The Casino star said she felt the need "to become objective" as to why she was tricked into removing her underwear, considering she worked so hard to get the part and "only this director had stood up for me."

A representative for Paul Verhoeven did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request to comment.

But in 2018 Paul told ICON, that Sharon knew what to expect from the scene directions on set. He explained, “Any actress knows what she’s going to see if you ask her to take off her underwear and point there with the camera.”

Filming the movie had other effects on Sharon, who described the role as "by far the most stretching" that she has ever done in terms of considering "the dark side of myself". She added, "It was terrifying. I had walked in my sleep three times during production, twice waking fully dressed in my car in my garage. I had hideous nightmares."

She continued, 'Do you have any idea how many people have watched Basic Instinct in the last 20-something years? Think about it. It's about more than just a peek up my skirt, people.'