Michael Douglas on Marriage: 'Time-Out' with Catherine Zeta-Jones Led to Reconciliation
The actor revealed that a period of separation from his wife helped them realize their appreciation for each other.
Michael Douglas has shared that a strategic "time-out" from his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones was instrumental in their eventual reconciliation. The couple, who married in 2000, experienced a significant rough patch in the early 2010s, leading to a period of separation.
Douglas, 82, discussed the experience in an interview with Diane Sawyer on Nightline, explaining that the time apart allowed him to recognize the depth of his feelings for Zeta-Jones, 57. "How much I loved her. How much I missed her. How much laughs we had together," he recalled. He emphasized that both individuals needed to change and that taking a break can be beneficial for couples.
In his new memoir, "One Helluva Ride," Douglas recounted how he "never gave up hope" that they would reunite. He wrote that as they began interacting more frequently around their children's school functions, they realized how much they missed each other. According to Douglas, this period of absence "helped reignite the spark that had brought us together."
Douglas clarified in a separate interview with The Sunday Times that the split was mutual and not a situation where he had to "win her back." He acknowledged that marriage requires significant effort and stated that their relationship is currently in a good place.
Douglas also reflected on the early days of their courtship. Zeta-Jones, frequently traveling for her film career, was often away from Los Angeles. Douglas initiated regular phone calls, and when they were able to meet, he invited her to his holiday home in Mallorca. To help alleviate any concerns Zeta-Jones might have had about his public reputation, he invited a long-married couple, Pat Riley and his wife, to stay with them, hoping to present a model of a stable relationship.
After their relationship progressed, Zeta-Jones insisted on monogamy, which Douglas readily agreed to.
The couple welcomed their son Dylan in August 2000, followed by their daughter Carys in April 2003. Douglas's first marriage, to Diandra Luker from 1977 to 1995, also produced a son, Cameron, now 47. Douglas described his first marriage as a "bumpy ride" marked by frequent separations.