Michael Douglas has spoken about his temporary split from Catherine Zeta-Jones, admitting that "marriage is a lot of work" nearly 26 years after the couple married in late-2000.
The couple, who met in 1998 at the Deauville Film Festival in France, tied the knot two years later. They share two children, Dylan, 26, and Carys, 23, and both celebrate their birthday on September 25, despite a 25-year age gap. Michael also has a son, Cameron, 48, from his previous marriage to Diandra Luker.
After their wedding, the Wall Street star and Catherine spent several years in Bermuda raising their children before returning to the USA and settling in New York.
Addressing the 2013 split
Michael, 82, and Catherine, 57, briefly separated in 2013, three years after Michael was treated for tongue cancer. At the time, Michael had said his cancer was linked to HPV contracted through oral sex, something that reportedly upset his partner.
Speaking to The Sunday Times about their reconciliation, Michael was asked how he won her back. He replied: "What, I won her back? It was mutual…You know we had our problems but I love her dearly and, 25 years, you know…marriage is a lot of work, you know. And so, you know, we're good. We're in good shape. It's all I can say."
Autobiography and Catherine's perspective
Michael also details his relationship with Catherine in his autobiography One Helluva Ride, where he writes about first seeing her: "I had never fallen in love on a movie screen before. Until I saw Catherine…And I was certain, as much as I had ever been about anything, that she was the one."
Catherine has also shared her view on their nearly three decades together. In an interview with the Times, she said their marriage lasted partly because they were not constantly at home together, allowing each other to pursue independent projects. She said: "Michael is, like, 'Go and do that job, that's amazing.' And then he's able to fly in and see me for a long weekend. Much better than waking up, going, 'What do you want for breakfast, honey?' I don't think our marriage would ever have lasted if it was like that."
She also told AARP Movies for Grownups that their ideal date would be attending a sports event. Though they have been seen at Formula 1 events, she said they enjoy other sports too: "We're big sports fans. So if there's a game on, we're watching it. I mean, every sport. I only follow baseball when the World Series starts to get going. I get really into it."
