Michael Douglas: Divorce From First Wife Should Have Happened Earlier

Michael Douglas recently opened up to The Mirror about his biggest divorce regret.

The Academy Award-winning actor told the paper that although he has nothing personal against his first wife -- the two were married for 23 years before divorcing in 2000 -- he believes they should have ended their relationship almost a decade before they did.

“I know I’m going to get into trouble here. I have nothing against her and in fact I’m very fond of my first wife. But we should have ended that marriage eight or 10 years earlier," he said.

Douglas went on to say that he believes marriage counselors work to keep marriages going -- even if it is clear that they should end -- in order to stay in business.

“It took me too long to realize that if you go to a marriage counselor to resolve problems, it’s in his interest to keep the marriage going. Because if I end the marriage he’s got no business," he said. "I think Diandra would probably say the same thing. That’s the only clear regret that I have.”

After finalizing his divorce in June 2000, Douglas married current wife Catherine Zeta Jones that same year in November.

Diandra Douglas was reportedly awarded $45 million in the divorce settlement, and in 2011, she sued her ex-husband for half of his earnings from the movie "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," but the lawsuit was later thrown out.

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