Catherine Zeta-Jones has spoken out about serious allegations waged against her husband Michael Douglas earlier this year, admitting that she and their children were “devastated” by the allegations.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the 49-year-old Welsh actress said she was forced to have a “very big conversation” with her husband, 74, while their children were in the room, after a former employee accused Michael of masturbating in front of her 30 years ago.
“My children and I were profoundly devastated by those allegations,” she told the publication. “And I was torn about where my absolute morals lie. This woman came out of nowhere and accused my husband.
“I had a very big conversation with him, with the kids in the room, and said, ‘Do you understand if more comes out’… ”
She revealed that, as a supporter of the #MeToo movement, the claims against Michael placed her in a very hard position. “It was a really hard position for me and, in the height of it all, it was nasty.”
Explaining how Michael had reassured the family about the claims, she said: “By telling us that there is no story here and that time will tell. And, of course, it did. There was nothing to back it up at all. For any accusation that comes out that isn’t backed up, that knocks the movement back 20 years.”
Catherine added: “God knows we’ve had ups and downs in our marriage, but I don’t throw the towel in very quickly on anything. I’m not that person.”
Read more: Michael Douglas turns the tables on accuser by revealing sex claims
Michael denied the sexual harassment allegations made against him in January this year, saying: “This is a complete lie, fabrication, no truth to it whatsoever.”
Speaking exclusively to Deadline, he said wasn’t comfortable waiting for major publications to brand him as a villain, so he decided to deny allegations he knew were out there before Variety or the Hollywood Reporter got the scoop.
He revealed he was made aware of an incident that apparently happened more than 30 years ago, after receiving a call from an attorney las month suggesting that the The Hollywood Reporter intended to run a story about the alleged incident. While Michael told Deadline he remembered the accuser, he denied sexually harassing her and said that he hadn’t seen her in more than 30 years since he fired her.
“I felt the need to get ahead of this,” he told Deadline. “It pertains to me but I’m also getting a sense of how it reflects in our culture, and what is going on today.”