Michael Douglas’ Break From Acting May Cause a ‘Strain’ in Marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones

Michael Douglas dropped a bombshell at the recent Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czech Republic: He’s taking a break from acting.  That’s bad news for his fans, but apparently there’s someone else who’s bummed: his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

“This means Michael is going to be home more, and Catherine loves her space,” says an insider. “She doesn’t like to feel suffocated.”

The Basic Instinct star, 80, can be clingy, according to the insider. “This could put a strain on their marriage just a few months ahead of their 25-year wedding anniversary.

“The marriage has worked best when they had space from each other,” notes the insider. “At one point they were living in separate houses in Connecticut, and Catherine loved having her freedom. She’s not begrudging him the right to give up his career, but she knows it means they’ll spend more time together, and that’s going to be a jolt for her. It’s going to be a challenge for Catherine to have Michael around so much.”

According to the insider, Michael depends on the 55-year-old beauty for everything. And since their two children, son Dylan, 25, and daughter Carys, 22, have moved out, the couple are dealing with the empty nest syndrome, as well.

“Catherine encourages him to attend events on his own and travel, but he’s not doing much of that anymore,” says the insider. “She’d like more space, but she’s not going to get it.”

Michael revealed his future plans at the festival, which he attended for the 50th anniversary of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which he produced.

“I’ve had a very busy career,” he said, per Deadline. “Now, I have not worked since 2022, purposely, because I realized I had to stop. I’d been working pretty hard for almost 60 years, and I did not want to be one of those people who dropped dead on the set.”

However, like most stars, Michael is leaving the door open for a return.

“I’m very happy with taking the time off … but I say I’m not retired, because if something special came up, I’d go back,” he assured, according to the outlet. “But otherwise, I’m quite happy. I just like to watch my wife work.”