Michael Douglas said he “never lost hope” that he would “reconcile” with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones after their brief separation in 2013.
The 82-year-old Oscar winner was asked how he “won” [Zeta-Jones] He’s “back” in a new interview with the Sunday Times while promoting his memoir “One Helluva Ride,” which comes out on Tuesday.
“It was a mutual relationship… You know, we had our problems, but I’ve loved him very much, you know, for 25 years,” Douglas said.
The “Kominsky Method” star allegedly squinted and then told the reporter: “So I don’t know about your marital status, but marriage is a lot of work, you know.”
“And you know, we’re good,” he added of their relationship. “We’re in good shape. That’s all I can say.”
Asked if he was worried about the release of Zeta-Jones’s book, 57, Douglas said: “She hasn’t read it.”
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Douglas and Zeta-Jones married on November 18, 2000; That same year, he also finalized his divorce from his first wife, Diandra Luker.
The couple has two children, Dylan (26) and daughter Carys (23), both of whom are actors.
In August 2013, almost 13 years into their marriage, news broke that Douglas and Zeta-Jones were “taking a break.”
At the time, Douglas told People: “We’re working things out, we’re talking and we’ll see how it goes.”
But the “Traffic” co-stars soon reconciled, and Douglas opened up about the brief split on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2015.
“This can’t be a one-way street,” the “Basic Instinct” star said. “But I’m crazy about him. And yeah, I think every couple goes through tough times.”
Douglas noted that because the couple is “in the public eye,” their private lives “tend to be exposed a little more than most.”
“We came back stronger than ever,” he added.
Last November, Zeta-Jones posted a special tribute to Douglas on Instagram to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
“25 years ago today I was walking down the aisle,” he wrote. “The intoxicating scent of the flowers, the glow of the candles, the echoing harmonious Gaelic chorus and you, waiting for me at the end of the long walk, looking at me in a way only you can.
“I love you today just as much as I did then,” Zeta-Jones continued. “Thank you sweetie.”
In his memoir, Douglas confirmed that he had a secret affair with his “Romancing the Stone” co-star Kathleen Turner while he was married to Luker, 70.
Douglas claimed the exes, who share son Cameron, 47, were separated at the time but “both had extramarital affairs.”
“One Helluva Ride” hits bookshelves Tuesday.