Michael Douglas (left) and Catherine Zeta-Jones Photo:IC

Hollywood A-listers Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, one of Tinseltown's most high-profile couples, have decided to split, at least for a while, their publicists said Wednesday.

The pair have had a rough few years health-wise, and Douglas, 68, made headlines earlier this year with comments to a newspaper about oral sex that reportedly left his glamorous British wife, 43, feeling embarrassed.

American star Douglas and Zeta-Jones, both Academy­ Award winners, have been married 13 years and they have two children,­ Dylan, 13, and Carys, who is 10.

They decided to live apart after Douglas returned­ from the Cannes Film Festival in May, shortly after his wife checked in for a second round of treatment for bipolar disorder, People magazine reported.

"Michael and Catherine are taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage," Douglas spokesman Allen Burry said.

Cece Yorke, a spokeswoman for Zeta-Jones­, issued an almost identical statement without any elaborating.

The movie star couple have not been photographed together since April, appearing on red carpets solo and vacationing­ separately.

They have faced a tumultu­ous few years, with Douglas fighting off throat cancer and Zeta-Jones undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder.

Zeta-Jones and Douglas married in 2000 in a lavish and star-studded wedding in New York.

The Welsh actress won an Academy Award in 2003 for her supporting role in Chicago and has appeared in films such as Traffic and Ocean's Twelve.

Douglas is an actor and producer who has won two Oscars and four Golden Globes in a career spanning more than four decades. He won an Oscar in 1987 for his role as a ruthless stockbroker in Wall Street.

AFP