Ravishing Catherine Zeta-Jones Looks Back On Her 22-Year Marriage To Michael Douglas

Nov 29, 2022 by apost team

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas continue to have one of the longest-lasting marriages in Hollywood, given that they have been together for more than two decades. And 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.

Beyond sharing their lives together, the couple also shares a birthday on Sept. 25. While Douglas is at the end of his 70s, and Zeta-Jones is just starting out in her 50s, the two are supportive of each other despite being at different times in their lives. 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. 

Moreover, despite the difficulties that come with constantly being in the spotlight, the couple seems to have made every effort to keep their relationship and family strong. This includes 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 2022, Zeta-Jones reflected on her relationship with her husband, expressing just how much she loves being married to him, despite the “ups and downs” they have faced. She also hit back at critics of their 25-year age gap with a perfect explanation for why they’ve been able to weather storms together for so long.

In the early 1990s, Zeta-Jones soared to fame in the United Kingdom in “The Darling Buds of May,” a period drama in which she played the Larkin family's eldest daughter, Mariette Charlton. By the end of the decade, she made a big impression there with her sword-wielding starring role in “The Mask of Zorro.” The “Oceans Twelve,” “The Terminal” and “No Reservations” actress eventually nabbed the coveted Best Actress Oscar with her role in “Chicago.”

Douglas first laid eyes on Zeta-Jones in 1998 at the Deauville Film Festival in France after they were introduced to one another by mutual friends Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. In tribute to his wife’s birthday in September 2021, Douglas posted a throwback picture on Instagram of their first meeting and captioned it:

“My first night meeting Catherine at the Deauville Film Festival in 1998. I found out that she had the same birthday as me — tadaah! Then when I discovered she loved golf, I realized all my fantasies had come true. I've lucked out at this time in my life. I just lucked out. I'm so impressed by her intelligence, sense of humor and work ethic.” 

Upon meeting, the smitten Douglas also chose to give Zeta-Jones a prophetic message. He told Today: “I probably made a big mistake. 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.'" 

Nevertheless, the lovebirds overcame Douglas’ first swing and miss and tied the knot in November 2000. They had their first child in August 2000, a boy named Dylan Michael Douglas and their second child in April 2003 — a girl named Carys Zeta-Douglas. 

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Zeta-Jones sat down with The Telegraph to share some insight into her relationship with Douglas a few weeks after celebrating their 22nd wedding anniversary on Sept. 25, 2022. She admitted their relationship, as most do, has had some good and bad times, but that in the end, they were committed to each other.

“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,” she said.

Zeta-Jones and Douglas had a brief separation in 2013 after he had battled tongue cancer. Zeta-Jones also revealed she had bipolar disorder II, a condition that saw her go through a brief stint at a psychiatric hospital in Connecticut in 2011.

Despite the trials and tribulations, Zeta-Jones said she still adored Douglas. “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!’” she gushed before she added, “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.”

On why they have lasted so long in an industry not particularly known for relationships with longevity, Zeta-Jones explained she and Douglas are “just very good with one another, we respect each other, and I never really feel that he’s 25 years older than me.”

On the note of age, Zeta-Jones had this to say about her critics: “I remember people saying, ‘When you’re 50, he’s going to be 75.’ Well, that’s just maths.”

Do you find Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas’s relationship an inspiration? What ups and downs have you gone through in your own relationships? Let us know and don’t forget to pass this on to friends and family, too.