These days, some savvy stars are taking control of their own celebrity sightings, rather than leave them in the hands of pesky, uninvited entities like tabloid photographers.
Award-winning actor Michael Douglas (see photo), recently treated his Facebook friends and fans to snapshots of his visit last week to Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton. Accompanying Douglas was his lovely wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, from whom he’d reportedly been separated not long ago.
Take that, tabloids!
And there’s an inside scoop: The picturesque pair weren’t visiting the park simply because they’re art-loving celebs seeking a social-media photo op. They were there specifically to attend the recently-opened exhibition “Seward Johnson: The Retrospective.’’
Make that Uncle Seward Johnson, in Douglas’ case.
You see, a little-known footnote regarding the actor pertains to his connection with the Johnson & Johnson family, of the New Brunswick-based pharmaceutical firm. Douglas’ father is actor Kirk Douglas – that, we all know – but the rest of his pedigree – his mother’s side of the story – might come as a surprise to some.
So here are the vital stats – from a Jerseycentric point of view:
Born: Michael Kirk Douglas in St. Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., the son of actors Kirk and Diana Douglas. Lived the first six weeks of his life in Highland Park, N.J. at Merriewold, the former estate of the late J. Seward Johnson (Sr.), the Johnson & Johnson heir. His mother’s sister was Ruth Crockett, who had been Ruth Johnson, Seward Johnson’s first wife.
Michael, welcome home.