COUPLESMichael Douglas Offers Rare Insight Into Catherine Zeta-Jones Split: 'We Both Had to Change'
Michael Douglas opened up about his marriage in his new book.
Oct. 12 2026, Published 8:01 a.m. ET
Michael Douglas is opening up about the brief period he and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones spent apart after more than a decade of marriage.
The 82-year-old actor reflected on the couple's 2013 separation while promoting his new memoir, One Helluva Ride, revealing that taking a “time out” ultimately helped them find their way back to each other.
The pair split briefly but got back together.
“We both had to change,” Douglas told Diane Sawyer during an interview that aired on Good Morning America on Tuesday, October 6. “And sometimes I think it's just good to kind of call time out and just talk as two human beings.”
Michael and Catherine Needed Time Apart
The two had been married for 13 years.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones had been married for 13 years when they decided to separate in 2013.
In his memoir, Douglas revealed the pair had faced “a number of challenges” at the same time before deciding they needed some space.
“We still loved each other immensely, but we needed to make sure that being married was the right thing for all of us,” he wrote, explaining that the situation was “incredibly difficult.”
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“It wasn't anyone's fault,” he wrote. “Sometimes you just need to take a step back and make sure you're doing what's best for your whole family.”
The Fatal Attraction star moved into a nearby residence during the separation. Though he and Zeta-Jones remained in contact, Douglas said they deliberately gave one another space.
“Part of taking a break is actually taking a break,” he explained.
Michael Says He and Catherine 'Missed Each Other Enormously'
The couple reconciled in 2014.
Ultimately, time apart appeared to give Douglas and Zeta-Jones a new perspective on their relationship.
As they continued seeing each other at their children's school functions, drop-offs and extracurricular activities, the pair realized how much they missed being together.
“Taking time away helped reignite the spark that had brought us together,” Douglas revealed in his memoir.
“I love Catherine in a way that I have never loved any other woman,” he continued. “She's my wife, my best friend, and my life partner. I could never lose her.”
The couple reconciled in 2014.
Catherine Recently Opened Up About Their Marriage
Catherine revealed that spending time apart has helped her marriage to Douglas.
Douglas' comments come weeks after Zeta-Jones offered her own insight into why their longtime marriage works. As OK! previously reported, Zeta-Jones revealed that spending time apart has helped her marriage to Douglas.
“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," she shared.
