CATHERINE ZETA-JONES
THE ACTRESS OPENS UP ABOUT SURVIVING TOUGH TIMES WITH HUSBAND MICHAEL DOUGLAS AND THEIR CHILDREN
The actress opens up about surviving tough times with Michael Douglas and their family.
When Catherine ZetaJones wed Michael Douglas in 2000, skeptics snarked about their 25-year age difference and predicted a short-lived union. “And they said it wouldn’t last,” cracks Catherine, 49, who recently celebrated her 18th anniversary with Michael.
Not that it’s always been smooth sailing. “God knows we’ve had our ups and downs,” says Catherine, who has endured health issues (Michael’s battle with throat cancer, her revelation that she suffers from bipolar II disorder), among other challenges. “But I don’t throw the towel in very quickly on anything. I know it’s an old-fashioned way of thinking, but you’ve got to give it your best shot.”
Michael, 74, and Catherine briefly separated in 2013, but they reconciled and rededicated themselves to each other. Says Catherine, “We came back with a much more appreciative view of who we both are and what we bring independently to this relationship.”
Even after a former employee made sexualharassment allegations against Michael earlier this year, Catherine stood by him. “It was a really hard position for me, and at the height of it all, it was nasty,” she says. But Michael defused the situation “by telling us all that there is no story here and that time will tell.”
PROUD PARENTS
Despite their fame, Catherine and Michael remain focused on raising their children with the right values. “He has this incredible brain,” Catherine gushes of son Dylan, 18, a freshman at Brown University. Daughter Carys, 15, also hopes to attend an Ivy League college.
Catherine quit school to pursue acting at 15. “I forfeited a huge chunk of my adolescence for a passion,” she says. “I do live vicariously through my son, right now. I go to school and smell it and breathe it. I’ve always yearned for that world of learning.”
Given the Douglas genes — Michael’s dad Kirk just turned 102! — Michael and Catherine may have a lot more time to spend together. Jokes Catherine, “I wasn’t planning on the 102 thing. We may have to regroup in a few years and see where we are!”