They are 25 years apart. On the first date he said he would be the father of her children. They have been together for over 20 years

It all started at the Deauville Film Festival in 1998, during which Catherine Zeta-Jones promoted the film “The Mask of Zorro”. It was then that she caught the attention of a man who was 25 years her senior – he was born on September 25, 1944, and she on September 25, 1969. Charmed by her acting skills, he asked his agent to arrange a meeting for them. However, it was not without obstacles. Douglas had megastar status and was also going through a divorce from his former girlfriend, and Zeta-Jones didn’t want to be associated with that. Ultimately, however, she agreed to the proposal.

After the first date, he had to apologize to her. A year later, they announced that they were expecting a child

The first date, contrary to the actor’s expectations, turned out to be a complete failure. Initially, the conversation with Zeta-Jones didn’t go well at all. At one point he wanted to lighten the mood a bit and said he would be the father of her children. As he later recalled, he did not expect such an answer at all. – You know what, I’ve heard a thing or two about you. I think it was time to say goodnight – reply and then she left the restaurant. However, Douglas did not give up. The next day he visited her with a bouquet of flowers and an apology. She accepted. However, the festival was coming to an end and each of them had to return to their daily duties. However, they still stayed in touch, talked regularly on the phone, and finally decided to meet again.

Their relationship developed far from the media noise, which is why many were surprised when in 1999 it turned out that they were expecting a child. Shortly afterwards, on New Year’s Eve, Douglas asked his beloved to marry him. Three months after the birth of their son, Dylan, they entered the picture. The ceremony took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York. And 3 years later, their family expanded with another child, daughter Carys.

First the disease, then the crisis. The star couple overcame difficult times

Over the next few years, they led a happy and peaceful life away from the spotlight. Although they appeared together at industry events and occasionally gave interviews together, they tended to avoid topics related to their private lives. Everything changed in 2010, when Douglas was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. The exhausting treatment lasted over a year. – I smoked cigarette after cigarette and drank liters of alcohol. I’m guilty of it myself – . When he regained his strength, Zeta-Jones landed in the spotlight because she was sent to a psychiatric hospital, where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Although they both supported each other in difficult times, dark clouds eventually hung over their relationship. Information began to appear in the media that Douglas had committed adultery and that the disease was caused by the HPV virus, which he contracted from one of his lovers. Rumors about the couple’s crisis lasted several months. After a long silence, they reacted by announcing their separation in 2013. During this time, they worked intensively on the relationship, trying to resolve any disagreements. They completed the therapy successfully and soon told their fans that they still love each other and not only cannot, but also does not want to live without each other. – Our relationship wouldn’t be normal if it didn’t have its ups and downs. Only love and respect are constant – Zeta-Jones in one of the interviews.