Michael Douglas Says Catherine Zeta-Jones Was 'Outed' in Bipolar Fight
A raspy-voiced
Michael Douglas is speaking out about
Catherine Zeta-Jones' battle with bipolar II disorder, telling
Oprah Winfrey in an interview airing Tuesday that his actress wife's private struggle with depression was cruelly "outed" by the media.
"I must say, Catherine's being quite open about it because she was outed, you know," he said. "She went to go get some help and some other patient probably in there said, 'Hey, you won't believe who's in here now.' And, so, once that happens, I think she felt [it] best to kind of get out the story."
He is referring to the fact that the National Enquirer first reported that Zeta-Jones was in a mental health facility, which then prompted a statement from the actress hours later.
Michael told the talk show queen why she was reluctant at first to talk about her problems.
"My oldest son is in federal prison, my ex-wife is suing me, and I got cancer. It's kind of hard for the wife to say, 'I'm depressed,'" Michael tells Oprah.
Catherine spent a total of five days in a mental health clinic to get help, leading Michael to tell PEOPLE magazine, "It takes a lot of courage to seek help and I am proud of Catherine for doing something positive about her situation. It's onwards and upwards for us."
She added: "This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them. If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it's worth it. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help."
The actress is already back at work and seemed upbeat in Louisiana, where she is filming with Gerard Butler, Uma Thurman and Jessica Biel.
"Catherine is one of a kind," a friend of the Oscar winner tells me. "Of course the couple hoped that this would remain private, but when it became clear the tabloids were going to expose her private business, the two of them, both Catherine and Michael, couldn't have acted in a more classy manner."
The 'Oprah' interview wasn't all about Catherine, however. Michael also provided a positive update on his health struggles, telling O that so far his cancer has not returned.
"This particular type of cancer has a good record of not coming back," he said. "But it can. So for the first year I've got to go every month and get checked in every three months."
Has he gotten checked out and cleared for this month? "I have. I'm cool."
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its all about the attention.
Instead of beind dignified and remaining quiet, you have to say something hateful about Michael Douglas. Why? How does it satisfy you to type something hateful on this article? Evil.
Evelyne..
YOU are the dispicable one! Michael was defending his wife, as all good husbands do. The reporter asked him how he was doing, that's why he mentioned how he's feeling.
Get a life, loser.
EVELYNE YOU ARE HEARTLESS AND PLAIN STUPID.
Evelyne - you must be a real piece of work!
Michael Douglas is not dispickable. He went through a tough time. I know as I had my thyroid taken out and is did leave me with a raspy voice. He had a lot of courage and I wish him the best. Try going through what he did and tell me he was just looking for publicity . I can name a few different kinds of looking for publicity than this. . It always helps to talk about it.
Are you for real ?
Ni, Evelyne, it is a person such as you who are really the dregs of society.
The ONLY person who is despicable is you for what you said about Michael! You know what, this world would be a better place without losers like you...please, just go away you despicalbe pile of rubbish! My father in law died from this cancer...do not even go there you idiot! Michael is lucky to even be alive as this cancer is hard to treat and usually kills the person who has it so really...take your bs and save it. We do not buy it you despicable rotten person!
They're both GREAT actors and I wish them the very best. They both have a lot to handle just dealing with Michaels cancer right now. It's too bad that some people have nothing better to do than find something negative to say. Even celebrities are entitled to their privacy concerning health matters. Evelyn what a hateful and unhappy person you must be. I ALMOST feel sorry for you!!
to mirror mirror: find urself not just ur image =:/
evelyne, they have a job.. and in all jobs - if u have one - u will encounter ruthless ppl like u - I feel bad for ur co-workers or family that they have u to live with! yah, the only difference is they have a virtually unlimited A**holes to work with - the entire reading world! for this lovely couple, C & M - it must be so difficult to have to explain to brainless ppl about the truth - i know, even if i say to myself or outloud "they" don't count or i don't care - it hurts -- but u shld just concentrate on ur family and those u really care for-- the fans- w/c in all honesty, i'm not an exclusive one - BUT - when i watch a movie w/ Catherine or Michael in it -- I always, always get what i paid for w/ bonus! they pick the right script & that's protecting the public's investment for entertainment..u do ur job .. ignore the rest! husband defending wife is so romantic, though ;-)
Listen closely to an Inception dvd made prior to the January 8th shooting in Tucson, especially during the dialogue, "Do It."
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The media and other patients should have respected her privacy. The Douglas family has had a rough couple of years. I am concerned about her chain smoking. I hope she can conquer that as well as her bipolar condition.
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let's see, the poor girl has unbelievable amounts of stress in her life, including nearly losing her husband to cancer. why in the hell wouldn't she be depressed? but how does one go from having these major stressors (any one of which would force most normal people into a nervous breakdown) in her life to being mentally ill? oh, yeah, BP2 is the mental illness du jour. and being stressed out/depressed/anxious just isn't a normal response anymore. it has to be a mental illness so Big Pharma can make more money peddling bad drugs.
Too much stress can sometimes make BP2 go out of control. It doesn't surprise me that she sought help AFTER the extremely stressful times. Also, bipolar depression is not the same as being depressed...it has it's own so-called agenda. The extreme highs and lows and anxiety can be caused by outside factors or just flare up for no reason. I wish her well in her recovery.
Kind of selfish of these celebs to indignantly expect privacy on one hand and on the other expect the adoration of their fans and the attention of the press on the other. Live by the press - die by the press.
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Two separate issues. What if everyone at your job discovered you had a sensitive health issue? Wouldn't you feel a little invaded? Just because she is a public figure doesn't mean we are entitled to know every aspect of her life.
Low ranked - people just hate hearing the truth. They pile on ya with low ranks to spank ya for giving 'em facts they'd rather not look at.
They're entitled to personal medical issues privacy just as you are. They shouldn't have to give up that privacy just because they're actors. It's called respecting others. Look up the word respect.
Excuse me..."live and die by the press?" No, they live by their extraordinary talents and creativity. Try it sometime. :)