Michael Douglas Yachting, Planning to Attend Film Festival in France in Wake of Separation From Catherine Zeta-Jones

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Michael Douglas is carrying on across the pond.

A few days before he and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones revealed via their reps that they were "taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage," the actor enjoyed time aboard a yacht off the coast of Sardinia while vacationing with friends in Europe.

Douglas took to the water on Sunday; was in Nice, France, yesterday for dinner at La Petite Maison; and at some point he'll be flying north to attend the Deauville American Film Festival, which kicks off Friday with a screening of Behind the Candelabra.

A rep for the fest confirmed to E! News that Douglas, who scored an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Liberace, and director Stephen Soderbergh (but no Matt Damon) are scheduled to be there to represent the film.

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Oddly enough, he and Zeta-Jones were first introduced in 1998 at that event, where, Zeta-Jones later told Parade magazine, Douglas immediately informed her, "I want to father your children."

They tied the knot on Nov. 18, 2000, and have two kids together, 13-year-old son Dylan and 10-year-old daughter Carys.

Sources have told E! News that Douglas and Zeta-Jones, who were last photographed together at the 40th Chaplin Award gala in NYC on April 22, have otherwise been leading separate lives for the past 18 months.

"Michael has not been happy for a long time. They grew apart," one insider tells us. "He is a fantastic father and his kids are his main concern...He wants Catherine to be happy, but they have been struggling for a long time."

"Her issues and his cancer have been very stressful for the pair of them," the source added. "Their friends are shocked. None of them ever thought Michael would leave her."

Zeta-Jones has remained at their home in Bedford, N.Y., while Douglas—who initially moved into a converted barn on a friend's property in Bedford—has lately been living at their Central Park West residence in Manhattan.

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Inside Catherine Zeta-Jones' Solo Life: Riding Horses, Spending Time With Mom in the Suburbs While Michael Douglas Stays in Manhattan

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You never know what's going on behind the candelabra.

Though Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas only revealed today that they are "taking some time apart" to work on their marriage, they may have been living separately since as early as last year.

Douglas left their Bedford, N.Y., estate 18 months ago for a bachelor pad a few miles away and now spends the majority of his time at their Central Park West home in Manhattan, N.Y., E! News has learned.

"He loves it there, it's where most of his friends are, and he can go about his business in privacy," says a source. "It's not [Zeta-Jones'] bipolar episodes that have driven them apart, it's just happened naturally. They like different things. He likes the city, he only moved [to the suburbs] for her, as she loves horses and playing golf."

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In fact, Zeta-Jones was spotted Aug. 6 at a local stable and driving around in her Porsche SUV with her mother, Pat.

"Apart from riding and playing golf, she's quite happy hanging around the house or going shopping," the insider continues. "She spent a fortune in the local Pier One last month and has even visited TJ Maxx."

The source added that, while Zeta-Jones has "a few friends in the village," she's never spotted out with other celebrities who live in the area, such as Glenn Close, Martha Stewart, Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere. "She keeps to herself," the source says. "She'll only ever be seen browsing in the bric-a-brac stores, clothing boutiques or at Sunnyfield Farm. She even gets someone in to do her nails and hair so she doesn't have to go outdoors."

But when she does interact with her neighbors, the insider added, "she's always very pleasant to people."

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Douglas, who's been spied at the local movie theater with Gere before, will "walk around town in a baseball cap and no one will disturb him. He's well-liked in the community," the source says.

He and Zeta-Jones have two children together, 13-year-old son Dylan and 10-year-old daughter Carys.

"They're like chalk and cheese," our source says of the estranged couple. "The only thing that really bonds them is their love for the kids. But even then, they do it separately."

"Michael will spend a lot of time with Dylan playing sports" and "Catherine dotes on daughter Carys. They often go shopping together in the local stores like Bubble and Treat, or go riding together. She's got a horse at Sunnyfield Farm, along with her daughter who's into [riding] as much as" her mother is.

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As for the bachelor pad Douglas had been staying in, it was a converted barn (converted into a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home, that is) situated off the main road on the grounds of a pal's $15 million estate.

But some acquaintances of the couple insist that they are "definitely still a couple" and recently attended a local fundraiser together for a cancer charity Douglas supports. They were last photographed together in April at the 40th Chaplin Award gala at NYC's Lincoln Center.

"There seems no obvious reason to get divorced," a source says. "They both get to do what they want privately."

—Reporting by Michelle Falls

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Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas Split, But Here Are 7 Couples Who Reconciled After Breaking Up

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It was a disappointing day for all of the hopeless romantics.

E! News has learned that after 13 years of marriage, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas have decided that they're going their separate ways, but those who still believe true love is possible in Hollywood still have hope for these two, since their statement hinted that this split may not be set in stone.

"Catherine and Michael are taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage," a rep for the actress said.

OK, maybe we're just being optimistic, but then again, these seven celeb couples reunited after calling it quits and it seemed to work out.

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1. Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko: The Nashville actress made it very clear that her on-again, off-again relationship with the Ukranian boxer is definitely on, but these two might be in it for the long haul this time. After ending their two-year relationship in May 2011 and then reconciling in January 2013, reports surfaced claiming that the duo were secretly engaged and planning a wedding. The actress, however, continues to play things coy, as she's remained tight-tipped about whether she'll be heading down the aisle.

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2. Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth: Happily ever afters aren't just the reserve of the movies. They're for movie stars as well. The singer and her fiancé are one example of that after announcing their engagement after three years of sometimes-dating. It seemed as though work kept getting in the way of the two, young lovebirds, but eventually, they decided to give their relationship another go. And although the couple have faced a bit of shakiness lately, sources reassure that the duo believe in working out their problems and the wedding is still on.

PHOTOS: Check out these friendly celebrity exes in Hollywood

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3. Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel: No need to cry these two a river. Though the couple have been dating since 2007, their romance hasn't always been as smooth as Justin's moves, and they've been plagued with rumors of on-and-off coupling nearly since they stepped out as a twosome. Sadly, the rumor came true in March 2011 when the couple split—but not for good. Biel kept a low profile and Timberlake turned romantic, declaring his then-former better half to be "the most significant person in my life" in an aww-inducing interview with Vanity Fair. Cut to September 2011, when the duo was back on with a vengeance, leading to Justin popping the question to Jessica over the Christmas holiday. In October 2012, the couple tied the knot in Italy.

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4. Prince William & Kate Middleton: Speaking of fairy-tale endings, their courtship was not only scrutinized by the world, but earned the Duchess of Cambridge the rather unflattering nickname of "Waity Katie." The sparks of their romance first ignited as undergrads at St. Andrews University, and kept going strong right up until, well, they weren't. In 2007, after five years together, the couple temporarily parted ways in an amicable split after engagement rumors reached a fever pitch. Maybe they were just the impetus the royal bachelor needed, because the couple soon got back together, and the rest, as they say, is history. Rather well-documented history, at that.

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5. Pink & Carey Hart: To quote the singer herself, sometimes, things just work out f--kin' perfect. Like with Pink and Carey Hart, who broke hearts (including their own) back in 2008, when they separated after two years of marriage. But as luck (or fate?) would have it, they never actually divorced...a development which made it oh so much easier on everyone when they reunited the following year. Of course, even when they were apart, they weren't that apart, as Pink helped her then-estranged hubby through the death of his brother, and he even turned up in a music video for his wife during their split. And all's well that ends well, particularly this love story, which ended with the birth of their daughter Willow.

PHOTO: Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady share a sweet kiss in Boston

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6. Megan Fox & Brian Austin Green: The new parents may be reveling in married and baby bliss right now, but the domestic duo wasn't always perfectly in sync. Back in 2009, the good-looking lovebirds reportedly called off their very long engagement, only to rekindle their relationship and betrothal less than a month later. However, the second time around didn't stick any better than the first, and a month after that, Fox declared herself "single" to reporters. But whatever their differences, they ultimately worked them out, with the duo finally making it down the aisle in June 2010.

PHOTO: Liam Hemsworth visits Miley Cyrus after star flashes engagement ring on Twitter

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7. Nick Lachey & Vanessa Lachey: This couple is in it for the long haul, but it wasn't always smooth sailing. In 2006, after four years of dating, Jessica Simpson's ex called it quits with the then-named Vanessa Minnillo. The exes released a statement declaring the split amicable and emphasizing that they still cared for each other—and it wasn't just PR spin. It wasn't long before the duo found their way back to each other, announcing their engagement the following year. As for their happily ever after: they're currently married and are in love with their baby boy, Camden. 

(Originally published June 7, 2012, at 4 a.m. PT)

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