Cancer survivor Michael Douglas has claimed Catherine Zeta-Jones broke down under the stress of his illness because of her “Welsh background”.
Douglas, 66, was given the all-clear from throat cancer in January.
But his 41-year-old wife was admitted to a US clinic for five days earlier this month where she was diagnosed with a mild form of bipolar disorder.
It is thought it was brought on by the strain of her husband’s fight against cancer and sticking by him when his son Cameron was jailed for serious drug offences last year.
At the same time, she has also been at her husband’s side as he faced multi-million-dollar legal action from ex-wife Diandra.
Speaking on the Oprah Winfrey show in the US to an audience of millions, Douglas said while he “got on with it” his wife showed typical British “stiff upper lip” and bottled up her feelings.
He told the legendary TV show host: “I think that part of Catherine’s whole background, she’s Welsh and with the Welsh it’s all stiff upper lip, not let your feelings show.’
Douglas agreed with Oprah that his health battle led to problems for his wife.
He said: “When you’ve got cancer you’ve got to take care of business. They tell you you have seven weeks of chemo, radiation, you kind of dive in and do it.
“I’m the kind of person when they’re sick, I just curl up, I don’t like a lot of fuss and no attention. I just like to get on with it. So I got on with it.
But Zeta-Jones, who has two children, Dylan, 10, and Carys, eight, with Douglas, was feeling the strain.
Douglas candidly admitted the past 18 months had been what he called “harrowing” not only for him but for his Swansea-born wife.
He explained: “In my last year and a half my eldest 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’.
“That played a big part of it, she’s got to be stoic and deal with all the stuff I’m going through. Probably the time I’m off the hook you finally relax.”
Douglas made it clear he was “so proud” his wife had the strength to seek treatment for her condition. He said it had helped her immensely.
He said: “She’s great now, she’s shooting a movie and she’s relieved she has a much better understanding because this was not something where she was clearly aware of what was going on.”
Asked how his cancer fight had changed him, Douglas was close to tears.
He said: “I’m much, much closer to my friends and family, I have a much deeper appreciation of family and friends and I was truly overwhelmed by their support.
“For somebody who has no formal religious education the amount of prayers and support I received worldwide truly did have an influence and a help.”
Of his son Cameron’s current jail term for selling highly addictive crystal meth, Douglas said he was “in real good positive shape”.
He said The Oprah Winfrey Show was apparently must-see TV with his son’s other inmates, or, as Douglas put it to Oprah, “Your show is very popular in the house.”
Cameron, serving five years, is Douglas’ son with ex-wife Diandra, who divorced the actor in 2000.
She has been seeking a share of the star’s fee from his 2010 movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
Douglas’ next film project is to play larger-than-life entertainer Liberace in a biopic co-starring Bourne movies star Matt Damon, who will play Scott Thorson, Liberace’s younger lover.
Michael Douglas claims Zeta’s Welsh background led to stress
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