Catherine & Michael - IS THIS THE END?

Friends say the actress was holding the family together for Kirk – and now she’s free to leave

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When Kirk Douglas died aged 103 on February 5, it heralded the end of a golden Hollywood era. So too, sadly, did it bring about the demise of his son Michael’s tumultuous 19-year marriage.

This is according to sources in the US, who say it was only caring for Kirk that kept Michael and Catherine Zeta-Jones together in recent years – and just days after his funeral, Catherine reportedly “sat down and told Michael, ‘I want out.’

“Catherine’s decision to leave the marriage to take time for herself has left Michael completely blindsided,” our source continues.

The 50-year-old Chicago star “didn’t make the choice lightly”.

“She put a lot of thought into this. Catherine’s been miserable for a long time – years, even – but she kept it together for the kids and Kirk’s sake.”

But now, with her father-inlaw – who adored Catherine – gone, and the couple’s son Dylan, 19, at college and daughter Carys, 16, preparing to fly the coop, the Welsh actress has decided it’s time.