Are Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones heading for a divorce? That might be premature thinking, but as People magazine reports, the pair are essentially living apart.
The couple, who wed in 2000, have recently been walking on red carpets solo and taking separate vacations with their children, and as People noted, Douglas was recently resting on a yacht near Sardinia while Zeta-Jones remained in New York.
Two "close confidantes" have told the magazine that the couple is taking time apart. "They're taking a break," said one source.
As for the factors that might have contributed to their break, a friend of the family told People that "the stress has taken a toll on their marriage."
Certainly, Douglas, 67, and Zeta-Jones, 43, have had their share of challenges. Over the past three years Douglas has battled throat cancer, and Zeta-Jones struggled with bipolar II disorder.
They reportedly decided to take a break after May's Cannes Film Festival; Douglas had been at the annual event in France, while Zeta-Jones had been receiving treatment to monitor her disorder.
Noted a friend of the couple, "They want the best for their kids, no matter what happens." The couple have two children together: son Dylan, 13, and daughter Carys, who is 10.
"It's unclear what's going to happen with their relationship right now," People's Carlos Greer told TODAY Wednesday. "The lawyers have not been called from what we know.... They're just taking time away from each other."