Catherine Zeta-Jones Reveals Why Her Marriage To Michael Douglas Is Still Going Strong

Apr 08, 2021 by apost team

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas continue to have one of the most long-lasting and strong marriages in Hollywood. They have been together for two decades and are still just as in love as they were in the honeymoon years of their relationship. Although they have a significant age gap of 25 years, Zeta-Jones and Douglas have shown that age is nothing but a number between two adults who choose to love and cherish each other for life. 

Marriage is a beautiful journey but it doesn't come easy all the time. Just like every couple, Zeta-Jones and Douglas have had a number of hardships and times when their relationship was not exactly rosy. In the recent past, the couple has dealt with grief, health scares and personal turmoils but the two have stayed together as a strong unit. They've always found a way to work their issues out and get through everything that might come their way together.

Moreover, despite the difficulties that come with constantly being in the spotlight, the couple has made every effort to keep their relationship as well as family strong. This included their decision to move away from the United States for more than a decade to give their children a chance to grow up in a more normal environment. 

In November 2020, Zeta-Jones and Douglas celebrated their 20th anniversary. In the entertainment industry, this is quite a milestone. The couple has naturally been asked numerous times about what keeps their marriage so strong. In a recent interview, Zeta-Jones opened up about the secret to their long and healthy marriage. 

Zeta-Jones opened up to Wall Street Journal about the factors that keep the foundation of her marriage so strong with Douglas, and interestingly, it is simple enough: "First of all, we have a lot of fun together," she said as per PEOPLE. It is, after all, the simple things that made the biggest difference. Zeta-Jones also addressed the age gap between the two of them, which has often been the fodder for many tabloid stories over the years. 

"My husband is 25 years older than me; that's not a secret. With any relationship, it wouldn't be normal if there weren't any ups and downs," Zeta-Jones added. "The constant is love and respect. We've never, ever lost our sense of humor, and we enjoy each other's company." The couple has certainly understood that keeping the spark alive can be an easy thing to do as long as both parties are equally invested.

When the two first met, the same sentiment was not stirred as easily as Douglas came on quite strongly. Douglas laid his eyes on his now-wife for the very first time in 1998 at the Deauville Film Festival in France, after they were introduced to one another by mutual friends Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. According to the actor, the two might have had a rocky start but had an instant spark nevertheless. 

“I probably made a big mistake," he said as per TODAY. "But I looked at her, and I said, ‘I just want to tell you, I’m going to be the father of your children.’ And she looked at me, and she said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you. … I guess it’s all true! Good night.’”

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However, it looks like Zeta-Jones and Douglas hit it off soon enough, and very quickly the two of them were inseparable. The couple married on Nov. 18, 2000, and share two children together: son Dylan, 23, and daughter Carys, 20. Douglas, 78, is also father to son Cameron Douglas, 44, from his previous marriage to Diandra Luker.

While the two-decades-long marriage has had its fair shares of challenges, from Douglas' cancer diagnosis to a temporary split in 2013, the pair have always found their way back to each other. Zeta-Jones spoke about how they still manage to keep their relationship going after all these years and difficulties to WSJ in April 2021. 

"My husband and I spend a lot of time together because, unlike so many couples, we've never had a 9-to-5 job where it's consistent. We're either on or we're off. I'm really working 16 hours a day, or I'm not. He's doing the same, or not. So we've had in our relationship huge amounts of time where we've been just us. We lived on the island of Bermuda for 12 years bringing up our kids. We respect each other's space, and our humor is just long-lasting," she said. 

Through the years, Douglas and Zeta-Jones have made it a point to celebrate each other on social media as well. Zeta-Jones shared an adorable photo of the couple for Easter in April 2021, which was captioned, "Happy Easter! Remembering my time in Jerusalem today, with my bunny, oops sorry, my honey Michael. 🙏"

What do you think the secret to a long-lasting relationship is? Do you have your own tips to keep a marriage healthy? Tell us about them, and be sure to let your friends also know about Catherine Zeta-Jones' secret for a strong partnership.