Who doesn't love a timeless love story? Well, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas
are basically the definition of relationship goals. But when they first got together, their
relationship was met with a lot of skepticism for their 25-year age difference and it hasn't been
an easy road since then. From the judgment they received from the outside world, to struggles
with health that they both had to endure. This couple proved that they simply weren't
going to throw the towel in on their marriage no matter what life decided to throw at them.
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The couple met way back in 1996 at the Deauville Film Festival. Catherine was told that Michael
wanted to meet her, and she was so nervous because she had no idea why he wanted to.
She first spotted the acclaimed actor in her hotel's lobby...but he breezed right past her.
"I said to my brother, who was there at the time,
'I guess he doesn't really want to meet me that much, because he just
walked right past me and he didn't even know it was me!'" The actress recalled.
After mutual friends and former couple Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith introduced the
two at a private dinner for the premiere of Zeta-Jones and Banderas' film Zorro, they
seemed to hit it off. Douglas asked if he could sit next to her at the very long dinner table,
and Catherine obliged. However, it was Douglas who, as he tells it, nearly blew his chance.
Shortly after making her press rounds, Zeta-Jones joined Douglas at the bar for a nightcap before
the night had ended. "I said to her after about half an hour, 'You know, I'm going to be the
father of your children.' It sounded good, and she said, 'You know, I've heard a lot about you
and I've seen a lot about you, and I think it's time I say goodnight.'" Douglass confessed.
The next day, Zeta-Jones flew out of town. But
Douglas was determined to make amends for his failed first impression on the actress.
"I got her some flowers and an apology—anyway, so I guess it worked out OK!" The actor shared.
Nearly a year later, the two were constantly speaking and having frequent dinner dates.
"Nine months later, I'm still having long conversations with him on the phone,
having great dinner dates, constantly wondering, 'Why are we not together?'" said Zeta-Jones.
Finally, both actors decided to sit down and talk about what they actually meant to one another.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones realized their relationship was something different;
it wasn't just flirting and fun. It was so much more than that,
and they both knew that what they felt for each other could go the distance.
"He certainly didn't want me as an ex- girlfriend on his list, and I certainly didn't want 'Michael
Douglas' as an ex-boyfriend on my list. We looked at each other one day and said,
'We're having a lot of fun together.'" And so, their romance blossomed into something beautiful.
Naturally, as soon as the tabloids got wind of their relationship, they couldn't help
but see one thing—the couple's age gap of 25 years. Catherine was labeled a gold-digger,
attempting to climb Hollywood's ladder by getting cozy with Michael. But it could not
have been further from the truth, and the actress wasn't bothered by the negative press one bit.
"When my mother was telling me about men and telling me the facts of life, she never actually
put an age bracket on love. And it's so funny, because Michael and my parents are the same age.
So, my parents, whenever they see us together,
never even question that there was a 25-year age difference," Catherine explained.
Douglas proposed to Zeta-Jones at his Aspen home on New Year's Eve in 1999.
Michael explained that they were both sick as dogs with the flu, but with her by his side,
he couldn't think of a better moment to pop the big question. - Awww, isn't that just so sweet?
Douglas gave his bride-to-be an antique Fred Leighton 10-carat diamond ring, surrounded by
28 smaller diamonds, estimated to be worth $1 million. Wowzers, isn't that ring a whopper?
The actor's proposal came a month after he confirmed rumours that Zeta-Jones was pregnant.
"We obviously were hoping to hang onto this information a little longer than expected but,
yep, Catherine's expecting. Both of us couldn't be happier." The actor shared.
Later that year, the couple was married at the world-renowned Plaza Hotel in New York
among a huge crowd of A-List celebrity guests like Tom Hanks,
Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg…
need we say more? But, the most important guest of all was their now four-month-old son Dylan.
"I don't take any of this for granted. When I look at Michael, I run around like a little girl.
I can't believe I came into his life and he came into mine,"
Catherine shared in an interview with People.
Nearly three years later, before the couple's second child,
daughter Carys, was born in 2003, they decided to pack up and move to Bermuda.
It was here that the couple decided they would settle their roots,
with the two wanting somewhere ideal to raise their children around lots of loving families.
In fact, the island offered such a perfect refuge that daughter Carys didn't even know
her parents were famous until they moved when she was older. "I thought my dad was
a pancake maker," Carys told Town & Country. "I didn't know he was an actor. Honestly."
By 2009, however, the family was back in the U.S. and living in Bedford, New York.
The family was constantly hounded by the paparazzi,
which was a big adjustment for their kids who had never been exposed to the press.
Unfortunately, the press was soon going to become the least of their problems. Just a year later,
the couple's love was put to the test when they received the most devastating news. Douglas was
diagnosed with throat cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation were especially tough on him. "It really
knocks you out," he told People. Catherine was the dedicated wife, never leaving his bedside.
She admitted, "The hardest part is seeing his fatigue,
because Michael is never tired...If there's anything Michael has, it's strength."
That same year Douglas' son from his first marriage, Cameron, was arrested and charged
with possession of heroin and distribution of methamphetamines. While he was initially
sentenced to five years in prison, Cameron ended up serving even more time, including two years
in solitary confinement, for smuggling drugs into jail. He later credited the love he received from
his stepmother and other family members with helping him get through this difficult time.
In January 2011, less than a year after his son's sentencing,
Douglas was declared cancer-free. Sadly, just three months later, it was Catherine who needed
support when she checked herself into a mental health facility to treat her bipolar disorder.
Perhaps it was the stress of Michael's diagnosis and her stepson's altercations with the law that
pushed her over the edge. Everything seemed to have become too overwhelming,
and the actress knew it was now time to take care of her own mental health.
"I'm not the kind of person who likes to shout out my personal issues from the rooftops.
But with my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow sufferers will know it's completely controllable.
I hope I can help remove any stigma attached to it." The actress shared.
Two years later, in 2013, Zeta-Jones once again sought professional treatment for
her bipolar disorder. When asked about how his wife was doing, Douglas shared,
"She's doing a really good job of getting balanced. I'm proud of her."
Four months later, E! News confirmed Douglas and Zeta-Jones had quietly decided to separate.
For months, during interviews to promote his film, 'Behind the Candelabra', Douglas
assured reporters they were "working things out." However, Catherine remained silent for her part.
Thankfully, by the end of the year, they had privately reconciled.
"I'm crazy about her...I think every couple has their difficult times. The only problem is,
as you well know, we're all in the public eye and it tends to get a little more exposed than most,"
he assured Ellen DeGeneres in 2015. "But we're back, stronger than ever."
Considering all of their ups and downs, it seems as though Zeta-Jones and Douglas are
truly committed to one another. While they still had to endure tough times, as any couple does,
they never gave up on one another. They fought for their love and won!
"It's a long road, and I think people today are so quick to throw in the towel on marriage.
You have to give it your best shot and not give up when the first problem arises,
because that won't be the last problem. There will be many more down the road." Catherine shared.
Douglas also explained that it takes effort from both sides to make their marriage work,
and it isn't worth fixing if one of them already has a foot out the door.
They were both determined to work on their marriage, and it paid off.
They'll be celebrating their 21st wedding anniversary this November. As for the secret
to their successful marriage, Zeta-Jones suggested it all goes back to the basics.
"I think understanding, listening, being friends, all help. It's been a great 17 years."