Catherine Zeta-Jones, 48, has addressed her husband Michael Douglas’ decision to preemptively deny sexual harassment allegations.
Douglas, 73, released a statement earlier this month denying he ever sexually harassed a former employee over 30 years ago, effectively ‘getting out in front’ of any allegation that might arise from the ‘reckoning’ of the #MeToo movement.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Zeta-Jones clarified where both she and her husband stand on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace.
“My reaction was that as two people who have been in this business – him longer than me — was that we support ‘Me Too’ and the movement more than anybody, anybody – me as a woman, him as a man,” she said.
“There was no other way than to be preemptive in a story that had to be watched. He did a statement, he did it. I think it’s very clear the way that he stands. I cannot elaborate on something that’s so very personal to him.”
The mother-of-two also called for women to be continue being kind to one another, and to remember we are stronger when we work together.
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“We’re seeing changes that have taken many years to even be talked about. It’s an amazing time for women, and I really want women to remember how strong we are in numbers. This is going to die down. This is not going to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind forever and ever and we’re going to have to be kind to each other.”
“We can’t ask everyone else to be kind to us unless we’re kind to each other.”
On January 9, Douglas addressed claims made by a former employee that he verbally abused and harassed her over the phone, blackballed her from the industry, and masturbated in front of her.
"It’s extremely painful. I pride myself on my reputation in this business, not to mention the long history of my father and everything else. I don’t have skeletons in my closet, or anyone else who’s coming out or saying this. I’m bewildered why, after 32 years, this is coming out, now," he said in an interview with Deadline.
"As I say, I will fess up to colorful language, but the issue of masturbating in front of her? That rung is something I’ve only heard about the last year. It’s not an expression that related to the ’80s. So I thought it stunk. And I tried to figure out, why the hell would somebody do this? The part that hurt the worst is having to share something like this to your wife and your children."
Zeta-Jones and Douglas first met in 1996 at the Deauville Film Festival where Zeta-Jones was promoting her film, The Mask of Zorro. They have been married for 17 years.