EXCLUSIVE: Michael Douglas Divorce Drama — Hollywood Icon's Clashes With Catherine Zeta-Jones Could Lead to ANOTHER Separation for Troubled Couple
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones' marriage faces a strain as clashes fuel fears of another split.
March 20 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Social butterfly Catherine Zeta-Jones is flitting about New York City and spending less and less time with aging hubby Michael Douglas – and some fear that may spell trouble for the actors' 25-year marriage, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Chicago femme fatale, 56, admitted she's "never been in L.A. schmoozing" and points out that she and Wall Street star Douglas, 81, have long lived on the East Coast, where she now regularly runs in business and art circles.
Empty Nest Sparks Marriage Strain
Catherine Zeta-Jones is spending more time in New York social circles, with insiders saying Michael Douglas struggles to keep up with her pace.
With the couple's kids – son Dylan, 25, and daughter Carys, 22 – grown, sources said the empty nesters lately seem to be living separate lives.
"Michael is always super supportive of Catherine," an insider confided. "He loves to see her happy and would never try to guilt her into staying home with him, but that does not mean it's easy for him to see her living this very jam-packed life, while he gets pretty much left in the dust because he doesn't have the energy to keep up with the pace she wants to live."
Michael Feels Sidelined In Marriage
An insider said Douglas feels left behind as Zeta-Jones embraces a busy lifestyle following their children's independence.
"It's very complicated because he doesn't ever want to slow her down or hold her back, but there is this sense that he's more like an afterthought these days," the insider shared. "If they were back on the West Coast, he'd have a lot more to do. He still has a lot of his own friends in L.A., and he'd have way more opportunities to golf because the weather is so much better."
"For a guy used to being at the center of the action, it's very hard to adjust to this new, quieter chapter in his life, and having his wife still running at full tilt makes it that much harder. He is feeling the distance – that's clear."
Past Split Haunts Marriage Again
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The couple's past separation was noted as sources claimed Douglas is finding it difficult to adjust to his dynamic with Zeta-Jones.
The power pair's relationship hasn't always been smooth sailing, and they briefly separated in 2013.
"Every couple has their difficult times," Douglas shared in 2015 on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, but he also insisted that he and his wife were "back stronger than ever."
However, the source suggested Zeta-Jones' gray-haired hubby is struggling with their latest home dynamic.
