Michael Douglas Regrets Attributing His Cancer to His Wife's Vagina

Michael Douglas, who has braved both cancer of the throat and foot of the mouth, is apparently man enough to admit that publicly shaming his wife’s vagina for his health issues wasn’t exactly a “smart move.”

A quick recap: in 2011, Douglas gave a bizarre interview to the Guardian suggesting the cause and cure of his throat cancer came from the same place: a woman.

The throat cancer, I assume, was first seeded during those wild middle years, when he drank like a fish and smoked like the devil. Looking back, knowing what he knows now, does he feel he overloaded his system?

“No,” he says. “No. Because, without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus.”

From what? For a moment I think that I may have misheard.

“From cunnilingus. I mean, I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. But yeah, it’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer.” He shrugs. “And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it.”

Right, I say. OK. So what he is suggesting is that it all evens out? “That’s right,” says Douglas. “It giveth and it taketh.”

And indeed, the cunnilingus comments he gaveth, and the cunnilingus comments he now taketh away: this week Douglas walked back his definitively unsexy and wholly medically inaccurate conclusions.

‘What I was trying to say was that there is a sexually transmitted virus called HPC,’ Douglas says, in an attempt to clarify the controversy that ensued.

‘But there is a vaccination that they recommend to all kids before they become sexually active so they don’t catch HPC, which is a cause of certain types of cancer – cervical cancer, tongue and throat.’

So he didn’t imply that performing oral sex could cure certain types of cancer?

‘No,’ he groans, anguished by the notion. ‘I was trying to make a public service comment.’

...

‘It was one of those things... and I so regretted any embarrassment that it caused Catherine,’ he winces, before adding: ‘And her family.’

Here’s a public service comment, for free: next time you want to talk about your wife’s vagina, for any reason at all, definitely don’t do it!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael Douglas Biography

Michael Douglas is an American actor best known for his roles on TV's Streets of San Francisco and in the films Wall Street, Fatal Attraction and Wonder Boys.

  “For an actor, it's great fun to play one of these hungry white sharks. Audiences love to hate them.” —Michael Douglas

Synopsis

Michael Douglas, son of movie star Kirk Douglas, was born in New Jersey in 1944. He gained fame after starring in the cop show Streets of San Francisco (1972–77). His film career took off shortly after, with starring roles in The China Syndrome (1979), Romancing the Stone (1984) and Wall Street (1987), for which he won an Academy Award. Later films include Fatal Attraction (1987), Basic Instinct (1992) and Wonder Boys (2000). He he still finds prominent parts later in his career, starring in films such as the Emmy Award-winning Behind the Candelabra (2013) and Last Vegas (2013). Douglas married actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in 2000 and the couple announced that they were separated but working on their marriage in 2013.

Early Life

Michael Kirk Douglas was born on September 25, 1944, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to actor Kirk Douglas and his wife, Diana Dill. Michael grew up with three brothers: Joel, Peter and Eric. As the son of a famed actor, Michael Douglas grew up with a strained relationship with his father, which developed more as he progressed through life. He studied drama at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in New York at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and the American Place Theatre.

Early Career

Douglas began his Hollywood career as an assistant director on some of father Kirk Douglas's 1960s films. After roles in several television dramas, he gained notoriety by co-starring with Karl Malden in the 1970s TV series The Streets of San Francisco (ABC, 1972-77). He also directed two episodes of the show.

In 1975, Douglas served as executive producer for Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which went on to win five Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture. He got involved in the film after his father, who owned the rights to Ken Kesey's novel of the same name, couldn't successfully develop it into a film. Despite the success of the film, it was difficult for Michael Douglas to find work as an actor, having recieved so much recognition as a producer. In 1979, he starred with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon in the film The China Syndrome, which he also co-produced.

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Acclaimed Film Actor

Douglas landed his first leading man role in Romancing the Stone (1984), portraying Jack Colton, an Indiana Jones-type adventurer. This successful teaming of Douglas with Danny DeVito and Kathleen Turner led to a sequel, The Jewel of the Nile (1985). The three worked again in The War of the Roses (1989), a dark comedy about an ugly divorce.

In 1987, Douglas made two films that reflected a much darker side: Fatal Attraction, in which he played an adulterer stalked by an ex-lover—played by Glenn Close)—and Oliver Stone's Wall Street, in which he played the corporate raider Gordon Gekko, whose trademark slogan is "Greed is good." For this role, Douglas won an Academy Award for best actor. He continued exploring his dark side years later, co-starring with Sharon Stone in the thriller Basic Instinct in 1992.

In 1988, Douglas formed a production company, Stonebridge Entertainment, Inc., which produced Joel Schumacher's Flatliners (1990) and Richard Donner's Radio Flyer (1992). In 1993 he produced Made in America, then starred as a sexually harassed man in Michael Crichton's Disclosure (1994), and as the titular Chief Executive Officer in Rob Reiner's The American President (1995), co-starring Annette Bening.

In 1994, he signed a development deal at Paramount that included The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), The Game (1997) and A Perfect Murder (1998). He executive-produced The Rainmaker (1997), starring Matt Damon, as well as John Woo's 1997 action film, Face/Off. Douglas earned critical acclaim for his starring role as a rumpled novelist and English professor in Wonder Boys (2000).

In Recent Years

In the fall of 2001, Douglas headlined the thriller Don't Say a Word, co-starring with actress Brittany Murphy in the film. Two years later, he was featured in It Runs in the Family (2003), alongside his famous father, his mother and his son, Cameron. The film, which fared poorly at the box office, told the story of a multi-generational clan trying to get along.

Following in his father's footsteps, in 2004, Douglas was honored as the recipient of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil B. DeMille Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field."

In 2010, Douglas announced that he would be reprising his role as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. The film, also starring Shia LeBeouf and Carey Mulligan, was released in the United States that September. Douglas went on to work on the biopic Behind the Candelabra, starring in the film as the famous 1950s and '60s entertainer Wladziu Liberace. Matt Damon played his love interest in the critically acclaimed 2013 television movie. Douglas won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of the famed entertainer. He also filmed the movie Last Vegas (2013) with several Hollywood legends, including Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline.

Personal Life

Douglas's life was forced to a halt in August 2010, when the heavy smoker discovered that he had developed a throat tumor. The 65-year-old actor was told by doctors that he would have to undergo eight weeks of chemotherapy. Doctors expected the Oscar winner to make a full recovery, and Douglas told reporters that he was "very optimistic" about his prognosis.

Douglas married Diandra Luker in 1977. They had one son, Cameron, but were separated in 1995 and later divorced. On November 18, 2000, Douglas married Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, his Traffic co-star. The couple welcomed a son, Dylan Michael Douglas, in August 2000, followed by daughter Carys Zeta Douglas in April 2003. In August 2013, it was revealed that Douglas and Zeta-Jones had separated after more than 12 years of marriage. A spokesperson for couple told the Huffington Post website that "Catherine and Michael are taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage."

Outside of his busy acting career, Douglas is active in promoting human rights. His work in this area includes serving as a United Nations messenger of peace.

Michael Douglas & Friends » Celebrity Golf Tournament

People from all areas of show business lend their skills, passion, and most importantly, their talents to a wide variety of Motion Picture & Television Fund fundraising efforts. No other organization has the ability to bring together the brightest stars from film and television to create unique events that raise money and awareness to benefit the MPTF mission.

Damian Lewis, Tico Torres, Alice Cooper, Jim McLean, Michael Douglas, Joe Rettman, and Sharon Stone

Michael Douglas & Friends celebrity golf tournament was from May 25 – 27, 2012

Since its inception, the Michael Douglas & Friends celebrity golf tournament has attracted some of the entertainment industry's biggest stars. The tournament has raised more than $10 million and benefits MPTF. In 2012, Michael Douglas & Friends teamed up with longtime friend and previous tournament player Morgan Freeman and his international disaster preparedness nonprofit organization, PLAN!T NOW.

This year’s tournament was held at the beautiful and luxurious Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas, with the tournament played at the One&Only Ocean Club Golf Course.

“I support and believe in the work of MPTF and the philosophy of Taking Care of Our Own. I want to thank my friends in the industry who play golf in the tournament and donate their time to a wonderful cause. I also want to extend my gratitude to our corporate sponsors whose generosity make this event possible.”
— Michael Douglas

“PLAN!T NOW has long used star power to build people power in the service of disaster preparedness. The organization's tuition scholarships and public education campaigns depend on fundraisers such as the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament. I was honored to co-host the event and am very grateful to all the contributors and our friends at MPTF."
— Morgan Freeman

The 2012 Michael Douglas & Friends golf tournament benefited MPTF and PLAN!T NOW.
Celebrity Participants in Michael Douglas & Friends
Michael Douglas | Co-Host
Morgan Freeman | Co-Host
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Adam Sandler
Alice Cooper*
Andy Garcia
Brian Baumgartner*
Benjamin Bratt*
Clint Eastwood
Dennis Haysbert*
Don Cheadle
Greg Kinnear
Damian Lewis*
Heather Locklear
Jack Nicholson
Jack Wagner*
James Woods
Josh Duhamel
Kenny G.
Kevin Costner
Kyle MacLachlan*
Luke Wilson
Mark Wahlberg*
Matt Lauer
Matthew McConaughey
Morgan Freeman
Robert Wagner
Samuel L. Jackson
Sylvester Stallone
Teri Hatcher
Tico Torres*
Tony Dovolani*
* 2012 celebrity participants.
2012 Celebrity Coaches
Annika Sorenstam
Hank Haney
Jim McLean
Celebrity Correspondents
Mary Hart
Terry Gannon

Michael Douglas to Receive AARP Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award

CONTACTS:

WASHINGTON, D.C. —AARP announced today that actor, producer and Academy Award winner Michael Douglas will receive the 2015 Movies For Grownups® Career Achievement Award. The Movies For Grownups® multimedia franchise honors standout filmmakers, actors, actresses and movies that resonate with the 50-plus audience.

Douglas will receive Movies for Grownups’ highest honor on Monday, February 8, 2016, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. AARP The Magazine will host the 15^th annual Movies for Grownups Gala awards program, where 16 other awards, including best actor, best actress and best director will also be presented. Chase Card Services will be the Premier sponsor of the event.

“With a career spanning more than 50 years, Michael Douglas is one of the most talented and respected actors and producers of our time,” said Robert Love, Editor In Chief of AARP The Magazine. “From his producing roles on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and China Syndrome, to starring acting roles in Romancing The Stone, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, The American President, Basic Instinct, Traffic, Behind the Candelabra and most recently Marvel’s Ant Man, Douglas has entertained and endeared himself to generations of moviegoers, which is a remarkable testament to his incredible versatility and staying power in Hollywood.”

In 2016 audiences can look forward to seeing Douglas in the upcoming CIA spy thriller “Unlocked”.
Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the eldest of four children of actor Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas launched his film career 50 years ago with Cast a Giant Shadow. His breakout role came on television in the 1970s hit series The Streets of San Francisco.  He returned to film as both an actor in such iconic features as The China Syndrome and Wall Street and producer of works such as Romancing the Stone and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, for which he won an Oscar. As an actor, Douglas’ work across an array of genres has garnered many awards including an Oscar, 3 Golden Globes, an Emmy and 2 SAG Awards. Off-screen, Michael Douglas has also been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 1998.

Douglas joins a prestigious list of previous AARP Movies for Grownups Career Achievement honorees, including Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Sharon Stone, Robert Redford, and Robert DeNiro.

About AARP The Magazine’s Movies For Grownups® Gala

The annual Movies For Grownups Gala raises funds for AARP Foundation, AARP’s affiliated charity, which works in communities nationwide to address the needs of older Americans by investing in innovative solutions that tackle the causes of the challenges they face: the need for functional and affordable housing, adequate and nutritious food, steady income, and strong and sustaining social bonds. With support from Chase Card Services, this year’s Gala will support the Foundation’s work to end older adult hunger.

The Movies for Grownups editorial franchise which includes talent interviews, weekly online reviews and previews, film festivals, free movie screenings and year-round coverage in print and online, was created in 2002 by the editors of AARP The Magazine. The February/March issue of AARP The Magazine, available February 1, will feature the best of 2015 movies and awards. For more information about Movies for Grownups, visit www. aarp.org/movies.

About AARP The Magazine

With more than 35.2 million readers, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through health and fitness features, financial guidance, consumer interest information and tips, celebrity interviews, and book and movie reviews. AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is published bimonthly in print and continually online. Learn more at aarp.org/magazine.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones Back Together -- and Doing 'Great'

ELIZABETH GONZALEZ via GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas attend the 41st Annual Chaplin Award Gala dinner at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, April 28, 2014 in New York.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Catherine-Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas are back together and doing better than ever.

Last August, the star couple announced they were taking a break, but now Douglas reveals the two are “very close and everything is going great”, according to a candid interview with CBS’ Gayle King.

Health issues in the past -– Douglas’ cancer battle in 2010 while Zeta-Jones dealt with bipolar II disorder -- seemed to have strained the relationship, and for a while each was seen walking red carpets solo.

Hugh Jackman Reveals 2nd Bout of Skin Cancer

It turns out some breaks do turnout to have happy endings, allowing for some personal growth in the meantime.

"Sometimes we spend more efforts with people that are strangers in terms of making an impression than the person that's closest to us," he told King. "And you just gotta remember not to take for granted that person that's closest to you."

They have recently been spotted together on several dates, and just last weekend had a lot of fun celebrating their son’s bar mitzvah.

Michael Douglas Gushes Over Catherine Zeta-Jones: ‘I Really Lucked Out’

Getty Images

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones enjoyed a date night in New York, hitting the town for “The Actors Fund for Everyone in Entertainment,” and talked only to “Extra’s” AJ Calloway.
 
Catherine raved about her Mother’s Day. “One of the best days I've had in many, many years, we were all together, I got spoiled rotten, I must be doing something right.” Michael revealed he spoiled Catherine with flowers and gifts, and, “lots of love and affection.”  Douglas continued to moon over his bride, “I lucked out, I really lucked out.”
 
The couple also dished to AJ on their summer plans, with Michael saying, “I've got to promote ‘Antman’ till I’m another year older, 'til I’m 78 or something, Catherine’s got a fun picture she’s looking forward to doing. We try for as much as much as we can for the summer to be with the kids.” Catherine added, “We like to be with the children.”

As for whether we'll ever see the two on the big screen together, Catherine said, “If he wasn’t my husband, I’d like to work with Michael Douglas, it’s true, he’s a great actor.”  Michael, jumped right in, “I would like to work with you any way I can get you, honey.”  He continued, “It’s a good question, I’ve been wondering myself, you’re not playing hard to get now, it’s too late.”
 
Michael, a sports fan, also weighed in on the news of the day regarding Tom Brady’s suspension. “It was fair, it was fair, they treated it as a second strike, could have been six games, million-dollar fine for the team. They left those two guys out there, the equipment guys who lost their jobs got fired, no pay, they’re sitting at home, so what do you do?” Michael added, “Of course, I’m a Jets fan, so…”

What Do You Think About the Controversial Revelations of Michael Douglas About His Cancer?

I've always liked Michael Douglas as an actor. Now I like him even more for doing a public service. It takes some guts to talk about this kind of thing. HPV infections and the related cancers it can cause are a big public health problem that most people know little about. 
 
Mr. Douglas was treated for a head and neck cancer that lots of people probably thought was related to smoking or drinking. But that's not necessarily the case.
 
Head and neck cancers related to HPV are on the rise. HPV related cancers can be confirmed by HPV testing on the biopsy.
 
So how does someone get HPV infection of the mouth and throat? It's most likely from oral sex. HPV is transmitted by direct contact. Most people that have HPV infection won't get cancer. But it's also associated with a number of other cancers including cancer of the cervix, vulva, and anus in women and penis and anus in men.
 
"HPV is a common virus that is easily spread by skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity with another person. It is possible to have HPV without knowing it, so it is possible to unknowingly spread HPV to another person."
 
"HPV vaccine is a strong weapon in prevention. These safe, effective vaccines are available to protect females and males against some of the most common HPV types and the health problems that the virus can cause."
 
VPD-VAC/HPV/Vaccine FAQ
 
This stuff is all preventable by vaccination. It's recommended for the following:
 
"Cervarix and Gardasil are licensed, safe, and effective for females ages 9 through 26 years. CDC recommends that all 11 or 12 year old girls get the 3 doses (shots) of either brand of HPV vaccine to protect against cervical cancer. Gardasil also protects against most genital warts, as well as some cancers of the vulva, vagina, and anus. Girls and young women ages 13 through 26 should get HPV vaccine if they have not received any or all doses when they were younger."
 
"Gardasil is also licensed, safe, and effective for males ages 9 through 26 years. CDC recommends Gardasil for all boys aged 11 or 12 years, and for males aged 13 through 21 years, who did not get any or all of the three recommended doses when they were younger. All men may receive the vaccine through age 26, and should speak with their doctor to find out if getting vaccinated is right for them."
 
So what's the problem? Only about 30% of girls in America are getting vaccinated. And for boys, it's even lower than that. The vaccination seems to be more effective when given younger rather than waiting to late teens or twenties.
 
Why don't kids get the vaccine? For some, it's the expense. For others, parents have expressed concern that it could promote sexual activity. That's puzzling. 
 
We have a vaccine that can prevent cancer and some parents won't get their kid vaccinated because getting the vaccine could promote sexual activity? We give vaccines for all sorts of infections without discussion about the social implications. HPV should be no different. We don't discuss the social implications of getting a tetanus shot or MMR. HPV should be no different.
 
STUDY: The HPV Vaccine Is 33 Percent More Effective When Given To Younger Girls

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