Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have weathered many a storm during their marriage, becoming one of Hollywood's most enduring couples after more than two decades of hard work helping their relationship succeed.
"Like a beautiful orchid, or anything else that is nurtured, a marriage thrives and grows, but if ignored, it withers," Michael Douglas told People in 2020.
In 2013, Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones had to work hard to revitalize their relationship. Their marriage appeared to be at risk of completely collapsing, and his representative told Us Weekly that the couple had decided they needed a marital break.
In the two years before the breakup, Zeta-Jones had checked into a psychiatric facility after being diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, according to The Guardian, and Douglas had undergone treatment for throat cancer. Zeta-Jones admitted that watching Douglas struggle with his grueling chemotherapy and radiation treatments was difficult, telling People, "I know maybe I should be stronger, but emotionally I just don't want to see that."
While trying to eradicate cancer, Douglas received more bad news when his ex-wife, Diandra Luker, decided to sue him, claiming she was owed a share of the proceeds from "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," according to Harper's. bazaar _ At the time, his son Cameron was serving a prison sentence on drug charges. Douglas and Zeta-jones's marriage eventually withstood all these tests, but their awkward first meeting didn't convince Zeta-Jones that Douglas was marriage material.
Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn't care about that age difference
When Michael Douglas married Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2003, he was 56 and she was 31, according to News. Over the years, a lot of fuss has been made about their significant 25-year age difference, but Zeta-Jones doesn't seem to mind the constantly raised eyebrows. "[Douglas] never makes me feel inferior or says anything like, 'You were being born when he was learning this,'" Zeta-Jones told People three years after her marriage.
However, in 2001, she confessed to The Mirror that she was feeling the ticking of her husband's biological clock. She and Douglas welcomed their first child, Dylan, in August 2000, and Zeta-Jones revealed that she did not want her child to be an only child. The couple's daughter, Carys, joined the family in 2003. While he was undergoing cancer treatment in 2010, Douglas told The Guardian: "I never anticipated starting a family at my age. I'm really happy to Let Catherine work while I stay. at home with the kids. I cherish this moment."
The couple has also spoken about how they keep the romance alive. "We have never, ever lost our sense of humor and enjoyed each other's company," Zeta-Jones told Magazine in 2021. As for Douglas, he told me in 2010 that he had learned to put his family first. of their careers, adding: "In recent years there have been some wonderful improvements (Viagra, Cialis) that can make us all feel younger."
