NEED TO KNOW
- On Sept. 25, Michael Douglas took to Instagram to post a birthday tribute to his longtime wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones
- The couple share a birthday, a fact that Douglas reiterated by calling her his “birthday sister”
- After marrying in 2000, the celebrity pair went on to welcome two children — son Dylan, 25, and daughter, Carys, 22; Douglas is also dad to son Cameron, 46, who he welcomed with ex-wife Diandra Luker
Michael Douglas loves sharing his birthday with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones.
The 81-year-old Basic Instinct actor and the 56-year-old Wednesday actress were both born on Sept. 25. On Thursday, they celebrated their joint day with sweet tributes.
On Instagram, Douglas posted a selfie that he and Zeta-Jones, whom he wed in 2000 and shares two children with, took while she was competing in the 2025 Ryder Cup Celebrity All-Star Match the day prior.
“To my birthday sister—what a joy celebrating another year with you! Congratulations on your spectacular game at the Celebrity Ryder Cup. Happy Birthday to the love of my life,” he wrote, tagging Zeta-Jones.
In the photo, Zeta-Jones wore a vizor with her initials “CZJ” embroidered on it. She paired the custom accessory with a dark polo and sunglasses. Douglas opted for a light blue striped polo and a hat.
The couple beamed while Douglas wrapped his arm around Zeta-Jones. It appears that they took the picture while in a golf cart with their clubs behind them.
She shared her own tribute to her husband on Instagram a short while later. The actress posted a collage of photos of the couple on her Instagram Stories, presenting it without a caption.
Minutes later, she shared several pictures of the couple on her grid, pairing it with a sweet message: “Happy Birthday Michael! Sharing this special day with you is once in a lifetime!😘”
Zeta-Jones also reflected on her experience competing in the Ryder Cup while driving in the backseat of a car after the game was over, stressing that it was a “spectacular” time.
“We didn’t win, but that’s okay. We had a fantastic day,” she told her followers on Instagram, thanking the organizers for putting the competition together.
According to the Ryder Cup’s website, Zeta-Jones played for the European team alongside Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol. They lost their match to Miranda Lambert and Michael Strahan.
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Other competitors in the tournament, which pits European stars against celebrities from the United States of America, included the likes of Colin Jost, Eli Manning, Kane Brown and Bobby Flay. This year, the U.S.A. team emerged victorious on the Bethpage State Park Golf Course in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Zeta-Jones and Douglas share two children — son Dylan, 25, and daughter Carys, 22. The actor is also dad to son Cameron, 46, whom he welcomed with ex-wife Diandra Luker.
Cameron took to his Instagram Stories to reshare his dad’s post.
“Happy birthday to one helluva dynamic duo,” he wrote, adding, “Here’s to many more filled with Peace Love and Happiness.”
Although Douglas didn’t compete in this year’s Ryder Cup, he and his wife share a mutual love for golf.
In 2021, Douglas reflected on meeting his future wife at the Deauville Film Festival in 1998. He shared a photo from the big day on Instagram, noting that he was impressed by two things upon their first encounter.
“I found out that she had the same birthday as me — tadaah!” he reflected. “Then when I discovered she loved golf, I realized all my fantasies had come true. I’ve lucked out at this time in my life.”
In fact, the couple hits the course together. When they do, Zeta-Jones has a rather spicy rule that she makes Douglas follow.
While on The Graham Norton Show in 2016, she said that if Douglas “can’t get his ball over the ladies’ tee he has to take his pants off.” Zeta-Jones added that “any man” she plays with has to “expose himself in some way” if he misses that mark.
In 2023, Douglas confirmed this rule, saying, “The rules are I have to whip it out if I don’t hit it past the ladies’ tees, which I manage most of the time.”
“But there have been times when we’re playing alone, and have to give her a little show because we are competitive,” he said, adding, “But only when I play with my wife.”
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