BY :FLORA LYIMO ~ BREAKING NEWS'' MICHAEL AND CATHERINE WAACHANA '' NILIDHANI HARUSI NI KWA MAISHA KUMBE NI KWA MIAKA UWEZAYO ? MBUTA NANGA!!

Time apart: Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, last pictured together here on 22 April, have reportedly separated as they struggle to maintain their marriage''

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have separated to 'evaluate and work on their marriage' it was confirmed on Wednesday.
The couple, who have been married for 13 years, released a statement via their publicist after reports their marriage had hit the rocks.
'Catherine and Michael are taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage. There will be no further comment,' a representative told MailOnline on behalf of the pair.
The Hollywood power couple are currently thousands of miles apart, with Michael holidaying in Sardinia solo while Catherine remains in New York.
A source previously told this week's People magazine: 'They're taking a break.'
Neither of them are making moves towards a divorce or legal separation at this stage, the publication claims.

'Separated': This week's People magazine claims they are taking a break from one another''

The couple, who married in 2000, haven't been seen publicly together since 22 April, when they cuddled up on the red carpet at the 40th Annual Chaplin Award Gala at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.
They are said to have decided to spend some time alone after Michael returned from this year's Cannes Film Festival in France.
Rumours then started to swirl over a possible split when Michael seen playing a game of golf on his own in Italy last week.
Cutting a lonely figure, it was a different picture entirely from just last year when the actor smiled alongside his Welsh-born wife at the annual Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament, which took place between 25 and 27 May.
It was recently reported by Star Magazine that Catherine was set to begin a '$300m divorce battle' against Michael, to end their marriage.
While a representative for Michael, 68, and Catherine, 43, denied that they have separated, the married couple have been spending time apart recently.

Michael is said to be living in Manhattan while Catherine is staying at their $4m home in New York State with their children Dylan, 13, and Carys, ten.

Regrets: Michael recently spoke about his divorce to first wife Diandra Douglas, a marriage he admits he should have ended earlier.

'Michael's doing a movie on the East Coast with Diane Keaton, so he's working,' Catherine told ET Online recently, adding: 'My children are actually at sleep-away camp, so I'm missing them desperately.'

Meanwhile, a source close to the couple have told British magazine Grazia that divorce would be 'the final straw'.

They said: 'It would be too damaging for the children and a strain on both of them emotionally and health wise.'

Keen hobby: Michael and Catherine taking part in the Ninth Annual Michael Douglas and Friends Celebrity Golf Event at the Trump National Golf Club in 2007'

In February it was claimed by The Enquirer that the pair were to separate in a 'hush hush' divorce, however the pair denied the claims.

The Enquirer alleged that the marriage 'buckled under the pressure of dealing with Michael's cancer battle, his son Cameron's incarceration on drugs charges and Catherine's struggle with bipolar II disorder.' 
A source has now added to People: 'The stress has taken a toll on their marriage.'
A representative has been contacted by the MailOnline to ask about the new reports of a separation.
On Friday, Michael is expected to attend the Deauville Film Festival in France; poignantly, it is where he first met Catherine in 1998 and famously introduced himself by saying: 'I want to father your children.'
Michael, the son of screen veteran Krik Douglas, was attracted to Catherine after seeing her in the 1998 film The Mask Of Zoro.

Solo appearance: Catherine, seen here minus Michael at the Los Angeles premiere of her film Red 2 in July''

They were to marry two years later in a lavish ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, which was attended by the likes of Jack Nicholson and Martha Stewart.
Catherine was first treated for bioplar II disorder in 2011. Earlier this year in April she underwent another stint in rehab in her continued effort to manage the illness.
Michael, meanwhile, revealed he was suffering from stage IV throat cancer in August 2010 - he underwent treatment and in January the following year publicly declared the tumour had gone.
At the time, he attributed the illness to stress, his previous alcohol abuse and years of heavy smoking.
But in June this year he made comments saying the HPV virus - which is contracted through oral sex - could have been the cause of his cancer.

Family portrait: Cather and Michael in February 2011 at Buckingham Palace in London with their two children Dylan and Carys''

Douglas backtracked on his remarks, but Catherine was humiliated because he didn't clarify he was exposed to the virus before meeting her, according to People magazine.
Michael recently spoke about his divorce to first wife Diandra, a 23-year marriage he admits he should have ended earlier.

He said: 'I know I’m going to get into trouble here. I have nothing against her and in fact I’m very fond of my first wife. But we should have ended that marriage eight or 10 years earlier.

'It took me too long to realise that if you go to a marriage counselor to resolve problems, it’s in his interest to keep the marriage going. Because if I end the marriage he’s got no business.'

Diandra won a reported $45 million in the divorce settlement, and in 2011, she unsuccessfully tried to sue Michael for half of his earnings from the movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. 

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