History of Marriage & Divorce Explained
Michael Douglas has the history of marriage and divorce that you might expect from an A-list actor with a lengthy career.
Whether fans know him for his classic work decades ago or for his role as the cantankerous Hank Pym in the MCU, Michael Douglas is a Hollywood legend.
But the topic of his marital status has come into question more than once — and with good reason.
Hollywood marriages are complex subjects. But here’s his history, and where things stand today.
Who was Michael Douglas’ first marriage and divorce?
As we mentioned, Michael Douglas has been a prominent actor since before many of his fans are alive. As such, his relationship history goes back nearly as far.
In 1971, Michael Douglas began dating fellow actor Brenda Vaccaro, following the filming of Summertree.
That romance would go on to span six years of their lives. However, he moved on, and his next serious relationship took on a more formal label.
On March of 1977, then-32-year-old Douglas married the daughter of an Austrian diplomat. Diandra Luker was 19 at the time.
During their relationship, they welcomed one child. Their son, Cameron, was born in 1978.
In 1995, after nearly 20 years together, Diandra filed to divorce Michael Douglas. The settlement included a payout to her to the tune of $45 million.
Michael Douglas’ most famous relationship is with Catherine Zeta-Jones
In March of 1999, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones began dating. They were both already immensely famous stars — and quickly made it clear that they were serious about each other.
On November 18 of 2000, Douglas and Zeta-Jones married.
They have welcomed two children. The pair had son Dylan Michael on August 8, 2000 and daughter Carys Zeta on April 20, 20003.
Despite their famous romance and two shared children, there have been bumps along the way.
Late in the summer of 2013, People reported that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones were living separately. In fact, the report alleges that the two had begun this informal separation — without filing for anything — in May of that year.
However, reports maintained that they were taking a break to make the marriage work. By November, they had reportedly reconciled and were once again living together. By 2015, Douglas was characterizing their marriage to as “stronger than ever” while speaking to Ellen DeGeneres.
Did Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones divorce?
In October of 2023, RadarOnline claimed that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones were effectively divorced in all but name. Memorably, Zeta-Jones has expressed disgust over divorce and has no desire to do it.
“The marriage is over, but they don’t want to do the whole divorce and separation thing,” the insider alleged. “So, they have this arrangement that’s working for them because nobody knows about it. They are definitely living separate lives.”
If Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are really divorced in all but name, they’re doing a great job of hiding it. As of late spring in 2024, there was still no official buzz about any marital rift in the longtime Hollywood couple.
