MICHAEL DOUGLAS may finally be throwing in the towel on his marriage after his estranged wife Catherine Zeta- Jones refused to accompany him to the Golden Globe Awards in mid-January.
And the 69-year-old “Wall Street” star is so sure it’s over that he’s been telling pals he feels single again.
Despite thanking Catherine and their two children as he accepted a Best Actor award for his portrayal of Liberace in HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra” at the Golden Globes on Jan. 12, insiders say that Michael was upset that Catherine was not there to support him.
“Michael felt it was the ‘final snub’ after he tried so hard to fix the relationship,” said an insider. “But now he’s giving up. He’s telling pals that he feels like he’s ‘single again.’ As much as he wanted to save the marriage for the sake of their children, it’s pretty clear he’s got no choice but to file for divorce.”
Michael and Welsh-born Catherine, 44, tied the knot in 2000. But a dec-ade later, the union started to crack under the stress of Michael’s diagnosis with Stage 4 tongue cancer, the incarceration of his son Cameron on drug charges and Catherine’s ongoing struggle with bipolar II disorder.
In August 2013, the couple finally confirmed what The ENQUIRER had been reporting for months – that they’d split. By that point, Michael had moved out of their Manhattan apartment, where he and Catherine lived with their kids – son Dylan, 13, and daughter Carys, 10.
Despite his busy film career, Michael tried hard to patch things up between them over the past year. The couple, who are worth $300 million, reunited briefly with the children around Christmas, but sources say the holiday reunion only paved the way for a high-profile divorce in 2014.
“The icing on the cake was Catherine refusing to walk the red carpet with Michael at the Golden Globes, showing that she was unwilling to support him,” said a friend. Meanwhile, friends have been pushing Michael to jump back into the dating pool for some time. As The ENQUIRER reported in our Sept. 30 issue, Michael spent a summer vacation jet-setting with French pal Jean “Johnny” Pigozzi, a notorious ladies’ man.
And on Jan. 14, he was reportedly mobbed by “femme fatales” at the UNICEF Ball at the Beverly Wilshire hotel while out in L.A. solo.
“Poor Michael nearly died from his cancer battle,” the friend continued. “He now has a new lease on life and pals like Pigozzi think that he should get back out there if Catherine isn’t interested.”
A source in Bedford, N.Y., where the two own a $5 million country retreat, told The ENQUIRER that Catherine has been spotted around town, hitting the local liquor store, a clothing boutique and other shops.
“It’s a shame she couldn’t take time out of her ‘busy’ schedule to join Michael at the Golden Globes,” said the Bedford source. “Everyone here hopes that Michael will find love again. He deserves it
