Michael Douglas marked a significant milestone by sharing a nostalgic photo of himself with his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

Initially, some viewed their union as unconventional due to the 25-year age difference, when they married in a grand ceremony at a luxury New York hotel in 2000.

Yet, more than two decades later, their bond remains strong. On Tuesday, the 81-year-old actor penned a heartfelt message to Catherine, 56, on Instagram, saying, “Happy 25th anniversary, my darling Catherine. Who knew? All my love, Michael.”

The throwback image captures Catherine looking stunning in a yellow sleeveless dress, while Michael is dapper in a navy suit paired with a patterned shirt. The photo was taken in 1999 at the premiere of the comedy film “The Muse,” the year their romance began.

As proud parents to Dylan, 25, and Carys, 22, the couple has defied skeptics, with Catherine recently describing their marriage as filled with “love and fun” as they approached this significant anniversary.

The loved up couple, who are parents to Dylan, 25, and Carys, 22, have proven their doubters wrong with Catherine describing the marriage as full of ‘love and fun’ ahead of their milestone anniversary. 

Michael Douglas has shared a heartwarming throwback photo of himself and wife Catherine Zeta Jones as he celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary

She told The Sun: ‘We’ve been married 25 years, it’s something to celebrate. And they said it would never last!’

The actress said she would be unable to celebrate on the day due to her commitments filming Netflix’s Wednesday, in which she plays Morticia Adams. 

She told the publication: ‘I’ve been working a lot this year and he’s been so supportive. I think we’re going to be doing a party around the holidays because I’ll be shooting season three. It’s such a short period of time I have off’. 

Catherine previously reflected on the ‘up-and-downs’ of her marriage, after the pair briefly separated in 2013 following his tongue cancer battle and her bipolar disorder diagnosis. They reconciled in 2014.

In an 2023 interview with The Telegraph, she said: ‘It’s impossible for there not to be ups and downs if you live with the same person and wake up with them every day.

‘I’ve been waking up to Mike for nearly 25 years. I love being married but it’s a crazy thing when you really think about it. “Will you marry me?” “Sure!”

‘But then you think about the Chanel purse you spent a fortune on, and actually I don’t really like it any more – I’ll put it up for resale.’

She added that despite their rollercoaster relationship, she and Michael are ‘just very good with one another, we respect each other, and I never really feel that he’s 25 years older than me.’

The Welsh actress and Hollywood icon appeared an unlikely pairing due to their 25-year age gap when they tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at the five-star New York Hotel in 2000

She said: We’ve been married 25 years, it’s something to celebrate. And they said it would never last! It’s a journey of learning and loving and fun’

‘I remember people saying, “When you’re 50, he’s going to be 75.” Well, that’s just maths.’

The couple have raised their children amid the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but also enjoy some very low-key family moments away from the spotlight.

Catherine has revealed she and Michael have taken their kids on UK staycations to Butlin’s and Legoland – despite their £250million ($360million) combined net worth.

She told Radio Times of her kids: ‘They’ve been to Butlin’s, Legoland, seen the sights in London, up to Scotland, over to Ireland. They’ve even been to the Isle of Man, I think.’

Catherine added that she insists her children spend two weeks in her native Wales every year to spend time with her parents – David James Jones and Patricia Fair.

However, Dylan and Carys have also enjoyed some bucket list trips abroad over the years including to India, Patagonia, Africa and Cambodia, among others.