I know we just talked about Michael Douglas winning his cancer battle, but I wanted to cover another story on the guy because I’m just so impressed by what a class act he is. We’ve heard Douglas talk about how was hounded by paparazzi while he was gaunt and frail from chemo, and he didn’t sound angry or bitter about it, as he very understandably could have been, but simply told Matt Lauer that it was clear the stalkerazzi were getting a kick out of his illness. He said “I resent the amount of imposition on our children… there was sort of a macabre enjoyment of sort of watching me go down [healthwise] by the paparazzi.” That’s it! Very matter-of-fact, no blaming or editorial comments on how terrible that is, he lets us fill in the blanks and it’s obvious that the people who did this to him were not good people.
In a recent interview with Mary Hart on Entertainment Tonight, Mary asked him if any of his family members saw those tabloid covers that all-but pronounced him dead. Star Magazine is the offender here, and they’re running a related cover this week on Douglas. (Photo below.) Douglas said they have, particularly his ten year-old son, who thumbed through a tabloid at a drugstore and asked him about it.
Unfortunately one time my ten year-old son was at the drugstore and happened to be thumbing through and saw a story…. about my changing the will and about my life expectancy.
[From video on ET Online]
That’s it! Maybe ET edited it to take out additional comments he made on it, but he’s letting the story speak for itself and it really does. This guy is a survivor and it looks like he’s beaten cancer. He told Mary Hart that he never thought about dropping out of cancer treatment because “There’s no reason to begin it, unless you’re going to complete it.”
Tabloid covers via Cover Awards
Latest Star Cover:
From Early October:
Yeah that’s despicable I think I hate the dying stories the most. Even god forbid it was true I wonder if any of these people have ever lost someone they loved and could think for a moment about giving someone privacy and respect in that time. I guess that’s asking to much from these Tabs.
Yeah, it’s bad enough when they are right, but thank goodness in this case they were wrong. These people don’t have a conscience.
awww, that sh*t is devastating. she must be going through hell. i hope he beats that monster.
I know that I’m going to sound like a bitch…but it’s him who stokes this unseemly interest in the details of his life by talking to the press. And there he is—-talking to the press.
He lives his life as a celebrity, he makes tons of money as a celebrity, and that’s about all there is to say.
Agreed, this type of papparazzi reporting should not be allowed – regardless of who MD is, this was his life and death being played about with just to sell a few mags, absolutely disgusting!
I kind of find myself agreeing with Tess in that he’s a celebrity, and the same American public that has made Kim Kardashian a huge celebrity has made a huge market for this kind of stuff- They wouldn’t print it if people didn’t buy it. We’ve become such a callous, hardened, media driven society that its implicit that “if you get the fame and make the money- we want to know everything. That’s the deal.” It’s sad, but it is what it is.
@ Tess. There are some celebrities out there who have been at this a long time, like Douglas, who knows how to handle the press. Everything from his son’s jail time and cancer has been matter of fact and not days and days of exclusives and sob stories. He announced it with an interview, had treatment and did some interviews stating the cancer is gone and he is done with treatment. I like a gossip rag like the next person when you see someone’s underwear on the red carpet…funny and harmless. Tabloids counting down someone’s death…not funny because someone they love can read it, like his 10 yr old.
Marjalane and Tiffany,
Please don’t think that I’m happy about the current media climate.
But I do think that Hollywood is as culpable as any other factor.
Everything is entertainment now.
He’s a lifelong smoker, and he’s 66 years old. Just looking at average life expectancies in this country, . . . well, the statistics tell the story.
I wish people would think about that before having kids late in life.
(Not that it excuses the tabloid, just saying the 10-year old kids may have to toughen up given his dad’s age and smoking history. Sad but true).
Edited: Oh, and I should have said I give Douglas much credit for being so honest in the press and mentioning his smoking and drinking as causes. If it can scare anyone else into quitting smoking, he may have saved another’s life. He deserves credit for that.
That 2nd Star cover is just heartless. So pleased he’s doing well and has come through his treatment. Wishing him well.
Reporting on his illness would be expected in the tabloid media culture. Printing lies about him dying is not acceptable. It’s shoddy reporting, not to mention inhumane, and they should be held accountable for making up stories. Do a little research and write something true. They should be held to the same standards as any other publication, of course, then most of them would be out of business!
Simply sitting down for an interview isn’t an excuse for people to barge into your life and made lofty assumptions. Michael Douglas isn’t giving interviews about invasive medical procedures or ripping hot wax off his wife vagina on a reality show (I’m looking at you, kardashians). He’s an actor with a sense of professionalism. He goes in, answers the questions thoughtfully and leaves. People who deserve to have their lives invaded are the ones who stoke the fires. The LeAnns, the Kims, the Kendras. The ones who will do anything to get a mag cover, selling their personal lives as commodities. I have no problem with them being hounded. But Michael Douglas is not that. Being famous because you’re an actor doesn’t give people the right to your private life, and I think we need to stop telling ourselves it does. There are plenty of oversharers to gossip about. Douglas is respectful and genuine, and as a fan of his, I want to see that respect given back. Those death stories were just…so distasteful.
he’s so old hollywood. & that’s a compliment.
I look at picutres of him during this whole thing and he reminds me so much of my Dad, when he was battling brain cancer (which, unfortunately, took his life). While benny pointed out that Michael has been a life-long smoker, it’s equal parts asinine and coldhearted to suggest that a ten year old boy “toughen up”. Yeah, it’s hard having an older parent, and he’ll have to deal with heartache at some point, but the POINT of this story is that the nasty tabloids printed false stories about his life coming to an end prematurely. What, it’s good for the kid to get some thick skin because his Dad smoked and surely will kick the bucket soon?
Jesus. I had such a hard time watching my father go through the process of dying when I was age 22…I can’t imagine what this poor 10 year-old was thinking when he had to process false news reports about his sick father. It’s OK to have hope, you know. Good for Michael to beat this thing. It’s a wonderful success.
I agree that people should really think about the consequences of having kids late in life…it’s pretty much guaranteeing turmoil for the children at some point. But it is what it is. The kids are here, and I can’t imagine the absolute fear of thinking your Dad is going to drop dead at any minute because of some scumbag trash magazine. Blah.
The guy was on Dave Letterman talking about it. Come on! This is the life of a celeb whether he likes it or not.
I am glad that he made it through it. I really like Michael and Catherine.
A. Watch your kids better in the store
B. You all know it’s part of “The Business”
C. Society cannot police morality/values/standards
D. Don’t bitch about the (disgusting) business that made you extremely rich
I agree with Isabel. I think it’s a lil harsh to say a 10 yr old needs to toughen up. It’s never easy to lose a parent, even if they’re old and it’s their time to go.
That being said, he and Catherine have been in the biz long enough to know that this is part of it and should have protected their kids a bit more or @ least had the “don’t believe everything you read” convo in the beginning of this ordeal.
Honestly.. the blame for these shitty stories is not on the magazines. But on the readers who love to read them. If the magazines wouldnt experience high volume sales when they put negative stories.. they wouldnt run them.
I agree Tess that celebrities are celebrities mainly because of gossip rags, but there’s a huge difference between gossip that is true and gossip that is utter bs. And there’s nothing pardonable in speculating on someone’s health.
I can imagine how bad that kid felt reading those words, poor thing.
The vultures circled around him and his family during a tough period in hislife. Yes, he is a public figure but where is the compassion and empathy?
Look at the headline about Owen Wilson becoming a father “3 years after a suicide attempt…”
Really, does that even need to be brought up again?
Haven’t liked either one of them since I saw a pic of her smoking while she was pregnant. Good for him for beating cancer. Now maybe they will BOTH act responsibly in order to be there for their children.
i luv micheal douglas – he is my favorite actor – and still hot for an old guy!
The Truth fairy,
in an interview, even if he was talking about it, it is coming from HIS mouth and can censor what he wants or not want to be said about him. He did an interview because its a direct stmt to the media that he has cancer rather than them making a huge debacle and going crazy trying to find him like they are doing to Aretha Franklin. Sometimes, you want to say something to pacify it before it gets out of hand and he isnt a fame whore like reality television show.
I don’t understand why the “just a celebrity hence we can barge into their life” makes sense to anyone. It’s their talent (ACTUAL talent) that they might want to display. Sure there’s vapid people like Rhimes and then there are people like K. knightley who lets their work speak for herself and refrain from her private life.
It’s disgusting because the MEDIA are speculating on his life expectancy. What if he hadn’t had the talk to his kid yet? that’s why we’re disgusted.
He is a classy man, through and through, and we, his faithful fans, are looking forward to seeing many more brilliant performances by him. The big screen can’t afford to lose him yet, and neither can we! Good luck Michael, heal and get your strength back and enjoy your beautiful family!
@benny
@Isabel
I doubt there is a human alive who wishes that they had never been born just because their parent was old or even near death at their birth.
My father died of a long-standing condition when I was young and never, ever do I think he should not have produced me because of his potential short life. That is absurd.
My life is also of no poorer quality for it. A dead parent is probably easier than a divorce on a kid, in the long-term.
My dad had the same kind of cancer and the treatment is brutal. To say or imply Douglas deserved it for being a smoker is really mean.
That sort of ‘death count’ tabloid story is incredibly distasteful. I always wince whenever I see such things, as I know the last thing I, as family to a sick loved one, would need to see… is someone watching & counting down, invading an incredibly painful, private time in a family’s life.
I’m always very torn when it comes to such things, not because I think such stories are in any way acceptable (they’re morally repugnant.), but because when one reaps the benefits of the press…shouldn’t they need to expect to reap the troubles as well? The way Michael spoke about it (from what I was able to see) was very classy.
The press often uses ‘freedoms’ as an excuse to do & say whatever they wish, without consideration for anything but profit. I *definitely* disagree with that.
giochi online 6 May 11 at 5:04 am