Catherine Zeta-Jones thinks Michael Douglas has helped her to escape unwanted attention.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas

The 51-year-old actress has been married to the Hollywood star since 2000, and she suspects that his influence in the movie business might have saved her from "vulnerable" situations.

She told the Radio Times: "I was very young when I started out. Whenever I had to audition, I was never in an environment like that.

"And when I moved to Hollywood, it wasn't long before I met my future husband, so everyone knew that I was with Michael Douglas.

"I don't know whether it [being with Michael] was beneficial, but perhaps it meant I wasn't in environments where I would have been vulnerable otherwise."

Catherine also praised the women who spoke-up as part of the MeToo movement.

She said: "I certainly understand how hard it is to speak up and how brave these women have been."

Earlier this year, meanwhile, Catherine admitted that humour has been key to her marriage success.

The actress tied the knot more than 20 years ago, but they still enjoy each other's company as much as ever.

She explained: "First of all, we have a lot of fun together.

"My husband is 25 years older than me; that’s not a secret. With any relationship, it wouldn’t be normal if there weren’t any ups and downs. The constant is love and respect. We’ve never, ever lost our sense of humour, and we enjoy each other’s company."

Catherine also thinks that having a flexible working life have helped their romance.

She said: "Unlike so many couples, we’ve never had a nine-to-five job where it’s consistent. We’re either on or we’re off. I’m really working 16 hours a day, or I’m not. He’s doing the same, or not.

"So we’ve had in our relationship huge amounts of time where we’ve been just us."