PRETTY “20/20” co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas shocked America on Nov. 6 when she announced that she was being treated for a booze addiction – and The ENQUIRER can reveal that her onetime beau Michael Douglas was instrumental in her decision to seek help!
The 69-year-old Oscar winner and the ABC news star have remained friendly after a sizzling relationship in the 1990s, and the actor – whose own family has been ravaged by addiction – told Elizabeth that she needed professional help to beat her demons.
But now his act of kindness is threatening to wreck his desperate efforts to reconcile with his estranged wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, say insiders.
“Michael’s bighearted goodwill gesture toward Elizabeth could backfire,” warned a close source.
“When Catherine heard about it, she instantly became jealous and went ballistic.”
Catherine, 44, and her superstar husband confirmed in August what The ENQUIRER had been reporting for months – that they’d split after 12 years of marriage and two kids, son Dylan, 13, and daughter Carys, 10.
Michael had gone through hell with his gorgeous wife, watching her self-destruct with alcohol and also struggle with a bipolar disorder before she finally landed in a psych ward earlier this year.
“Michael still remains concerned about Catherine, and now they’re trying to reconcile for the sake of their children,” said the source.
But despite those efforts, the “Last Vegas” star rushed to help Elizabeth after she went public with her alarming addiction news.
After weeks of being absent from her “20/20” anchor chair, the 51-year-old mother of two – who’s been married to Grammy-winning singer Marc Cohn since 2002 – released a bombshell statement, saying: “Like so many people, I am dealing with addiction. I realized I was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. And feel fortunate to have recognized it for the problem it was becoming. I am in treatment.”
Michael had first grown close to Elizabeth about 15 years ago after hammering out a divorce deal with his first wife Diandra, and the two began a steamy romance.
The couple enjoyed quiet dinners out in Manhattan as well as in his penthouse apartment, and he flew her to Los Angeles to meet his dad Kirk.
The lovebirds even vacationed at Michael’s magnificent cliff-top retreat on the Spanish island of Majorca.
As The ENQUIRER reported, Elizabeth hoped to marry Michael, but he was not ready so soon after his divorce, and their relationship fizzled.
But “there were never any hard feelings over the years, and Michael was proud of Elizabeth’s accomplishments,” said the source. “He was devastated when he learned of her drinking problems and reached out to help.
“He’s not carrying a torch for Elizabeth. He acted only out of friendship and concern.”
No one knows the horrors of addiction better than Michael. He’s dealt with his own alcohol and rumored sex addiction problems plus Catherine’s demons. He also has a son, Cameron, in jail for drug offenses, and his late brother Eric self-destructed from substance abuse.
Although Catherine is said to be “very jealous” over Michael reaching out to his old girlfriend in her time of despair, the source revealed, “he intends to continue offering support and encouragement to Elizabeth.”
