Beiruting News

Academy Award-winning actors Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas are "taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage", a statement released by her publicist said.

There was speculation last night that Douglas apparently saying in June that performing oral sex on women may have triggered his throat cancer put a strain on his marriage.

He'd said: "Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from oral sex."

The star, whose films include Wall Street and Basic Instinct, recently made his post-cancer return to the big screen playing Liberace in the biopic Behind The Candelabra.

Zeta Jones, an Oscar-winner for her role in Chicago, is currently starring alongside Dame Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis in popcorn action film Red 2.