Michael Douglas' stepmother Anne dead at 102

Anne Douglas, wife to the late actor Kirk Douglas, died on Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills at the age of 102.

Michael Douglas, her stepson, paid a moving tribute to his stepmother with a statement to People later in the day.

‘Anne was more than a stepmother, and never “wicked.” She brought out the best in all of us, especially our father,’ said the 76-year-old Academy Award winner.

‘Dad would never have had the career he did without Anne’s support and partnership,’ Douglas continued.

‘Catherine [Zeta-Jones] and I and the children adored her; she will always be in our hearts.’

No cause of death was given for the former film publicist, but she reportedly died peacefully in the afternoon at the Beverly Hills home where she lived with her husband Kirk for 66 years.

Her death comes just over one year after the Hollywood legend died at the age of 103 on February 5, 2020.

Social media users flocked to Twitter after news of Anne’s death to pay tribute to the noted philanthropist and Hollywood fixture.

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Among those remembering her was Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group, which counts among its venues the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

“@CTGLA mourns the passing of a visionary philanthropist,’ the group wrote. ‘Anne Douglas was a dedicated advocate for the theatre and a remarkable woman who helped build Center Theatre Group in its early years,’ began the statement attributed to Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

He added that Anne ‘changed the face of Southern California Theatre with the launching of the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and was a dear member of our family throughout her life.

‘We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Anne Douglas and our thoughts are with the Douglas family in this difficult time…’

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