Michael Douglas Opens Up About Brief Split From Catherine Zeta-Jones

Michael Douglas has addressed his temporary separation from Catherine Zeta-Jones, describing the decision to take time apart 13 years into their marriage as something they agreed on together.

The Hollywood couple first met in 1998 and married two years later in 2000. In 2013, they briefly separated while dealing with a difficult period marked by serious personal and health challenges.

At the time, Welsh actor Zeta-Jones said they were taking a pause from their relationship so they could reassess their marriage and work through their problems.

Douglas, who is 25 years older than his wife, has now pushed back against the suggestion that he had to win Zeta-Jones over again after their separation.

During an interview with The Sunday Times about his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, the 82-year-old actor was asked how he had “won back” his wife. Douglas quickly corrected the premise, saying their reconciliation was mutual rather than something he had achieved alone.

“We had our problems, but I love her dearly,” Douglas said, reflecting on their 25-year marriage.

He added that marriage requires continued effort, saying the pair are now in a strong place and that there was little more he could say beyond confirming that their relationship was in good shape.

The 2013 separation came two years after Zeta-Jones opened up about her struggle with depression and her diagnosis of bipolar II disorder. She received treatment at a mental health facility that year.

Douglas was also facing a major health battle after being diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

Zeta-Jones returned to a mental health facility in 2013 to continue receiving treatment for bipolar disorder.

During the same period, Douglas made controversial comments in a 2013 interview with The Guardian, claiming that the type of cancer he had experienced could be linked to oral sex.

He told the publication that his cancer was connected to HPV, or human papillomavirus, and said the virus could be transmitted through cunnilingus.

Douglas later softened those remarks and apologized publicly during a 2015 interview with Event magazine.

He said he deeply regretted any embarrassment his comments had caused Zeta-Jones.

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In that same 2015 interview, Douglas described the couple’s separation as a temporary “bump in the road.”

Douglas has also spoken about the strain of living through relationship difficulties in the public eye. He said his love for Catherine remains as strong as ever and expressed hope that she feels the same way.

‘We worked things out – if both people want to work something out and make it better, you can do it. You can’t do it if it’s just one person.’

The couple share two children Dylan, 26, and daughter Carys, 23.

Speaking to The Sunday Times in September, Zeta-Jones said that the secret to her marriage with Douglas was ‘working’. 

‘Michael is, like, ‘Do that job, that’s amazing.’ Then he’s able to fly in and see me,’ she explained.

‘Much better than waking up, going, ‘What do you want for breakfast, honey?’ I don’t think our marriage would ever have lasted if it was like that.’ 

Douglas stepped back from acting in 2022 after a nearly 60-year career and has said he will only return to the screen for something ‘special’.

Zeta-Jones though has consistently worked throughout their marriage and in recent years has had huge success with her role as Morticia in the Netflix hit Wednesday.

She is currently starring in the spy thriller Kill Jackie on Amazon Prime Video. 

Douglas was last seen in AppleTV+’s miniseries Franklin, about the United States Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.

He is now promoting his memoir, One Helluva Ride, which drops on Tuesday.