By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:59am PDT, Sep 16, 2010
By Drew Mackie
Actor Michael Douglas made public his most personal struggle yet when he announced in August that he is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Recently, the 65-year-old "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" actor sat down with Parade magazine to again make private matters public, discussing his illness, his life and his tense relationship with Cameron.
On going public about his cancer:
"Not going public with having cancer was not much of an option, even if I had objected. When you are a celebrity, nothing remains secret for very long. If it helps bring attention, then that is a major upside to this whole thing. Millions of families are going through the same thing my family and I are now going through. If I can bring any relief or encouragement to those suffering, that's the good news."
On his divorce from Diandra Luker, which reportedly cost Douglas $45 million:
"Why did I [marry her]? I really could not tell you. It was very impulsive. When I met Diandra, I was at Jimmy Carter's inauguration with Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson, and in this whirlwind we decided to get married. Maybe I wanted an anchor, a home. We separated a couple of times over the years. I was working hard. Whether trying to deal with the marriage or with disillusionment in it, I wasn't spending enough time on that."
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On explaining Cameron's imprisonment to his 7- and 10-year-old children:
"Catherine and I always try to be completely honest with them. I've taken them to federal prison to visit Cameron. The last thing they need is to get this information from outside sources rather than experiencing it firsthand with a parent who can help them understand."
RELATED: Michael's pleas for leniency in his son's sentencing
On son Cameron's drug-related arrests:
"My son's 31 years old. Cameron is a really capable guy who conducted himself atrociously. In the last few years he was strung out. I missed him. Incarceration really gets your attention, finally. This might be enough now. My visiting him is very limited, but I know I have my son back. I talk to him. Cameron will be away for a long while. Hopefully, as he does his time and begins his rehab, we'll have the best shot at his recovery. I assume responsibility to support him the best I can."
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