In his heyday, Kirk Douglas was one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs, and he was no stranger to chasing women. But it was his wife of 65 years, Anne Douglas, née Buydens, that he chose to spend the majority of his life with. After passing away at the age of 103 on Feb. 5, 2020, Kirk left Anne a widow. Over one year following his death, Anne passed away at her home in Beverly Hills on April 29 at the age of 102.
Theirs was a love for the ages — amid the storms of infidelity, cancer, and even the loss of their child, Kirk and Anne stuck together through it all in 65 years of marriage.
Upon first meeting in 1953 on the Paris set of “Act of Love,” the two were involved with different people at the time. Anne was married to Albert Buydens while Kirk was already divorced from actress Diana Dill and secretly engaged to Italian actress Pier Angeli.
However, fate had something else in the cards for Kirk and Anne, as they would go on to have a long and loving marriage despite it being a “spontanous” decision on their part. The couple would also go on to have two children, Peter Douglas and Eric Douglas. Kirk had two other sounds, Michael and Joel from his previous marriage to Diane Douglas.
Though Kirk had amassed a fortune in his life thanks to his successful career, he did not leave it behind for his four children. This may seem strange as many parents tend to leave something behind for their kids after their passing, but Kirk has joined the ranks of many celebrities who prefer to leave their fortune to charity instead of their family.
Kirk wrote about the beginning of his professional relationship with Anne in the book that the couple co-authored in 2017, “Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, he wrote:
“She finally agreed to work with me on a trial basis, making it clear our relationship would be strictly business.”
Meanwhile, Anne also had something to say about it:
“We talked for hours, and I had a strange feeling in my heart that I could fall in love with this man. I didn’t want to, because I had seen too many young women enter into intense affairs with visiting movie stars — Dean Martin, Marlon Brando, Cary Grant among them. Then the film wrapped and the men returned to their wives and families.”
However, what was meant to be would be. Very shortly after, at the end of 1953, Kirk ended his engagement to Pier Angeli, and by the spring of 1954, in a spontaneous moment, he and Anne decided to get married in Las Vegas after a year of working together and pursuing a complicated relationship.
Their son Peter Douglas was born a year later, followed by Eric Douglas, who was born in 1958. Their marriage would last for more than six decades, which is extremely rare in the Hollywood industry. Speaking about Anne, Michael Douglas said in a statement to PEOPLE in 2021:
“Anne was more than a stepmother, and never ‘wicked.’ She brought out the best in all of us, especially our father. Dad would never have had the career he did without Anne’s support and partnership. Catherine and I and the children adored her; she will always be in our hearts.”
Kirk focused on doing charity work and his role as a goodwill ambassador for the US State Department after his acting career started slowing down in the 1980s. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981, the Jefferson Award for public service in 1983, and the French Legion of Honor in 1985.
Kird passed away in February 2020, and Anne ended up passing away in April 2021. Their passing was a major loss not only to Hollywood but also to the members of the Douglas family who had loved and cherished Kirk and Anne. The late Hollywood legend was always known to be extremely charitable, and his generosity lives on even after his passing.
According to Mirror, Kirk wanted $50 million to be given away to various charities through the Douglas Foundation. The Douglas Foundation, which was founded by Kirk and his wife Anne Buydens in 1964, is “committed to helping those who might not otherwise be able to help themselves.”
Some of the recipients of his bequest include scholars at his alma mater St. Lawrence University, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, Culver City’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The Mirror also reported that Michael did not receive a single cent from the money his father left behind. For Michael, it was certainly not needed as he is a famous actor in his own right and is estimated to be worth $300 million.
Daily Star reported that Kirk’s other sons also found their own successes and do not need the massive fortune. According to the outlet, Peter is a successful film and TV producer and is worth an estimated $15-$20 million.
His half-brother Joel and Michael’s full sibling is also a film and TV producer, who worked with Michael on hit Hollywood films that include “Romancing The Stone” and “Jewel Of The Nile.” Joel also produced the iconic film “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” which is reportedly worth an estimated $12 million.
Unfortunately, Eric, an actor and stand-up comedian, died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 46 in 2004. This was a truly tragic event in the lives of Kirk and Anne. The couple also had to overcome many difficulties in their lives, which included Anne’s battle with breast cancer and Kirk’s struggle with depression after suffering a stroke.
Kirk also had a difficult relationship with Michael for some time, according to Daily Star. Michael had even refused to call Kirk “dad” publicly.
However, Kirk and Michael reconciled and became much closer as the years went by. After Kirk’s passing, Michael paid tribute to his father in a meaningful Instagram post, where he wrote:
“To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.”
He continued, “But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband.”
He concluded, “Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son.”
Stories of charitable works help restore faith in humanity. We hope this inspires more people to be more generous to the needy. Pass this along to all your friends and family.
