The Hollywood legend passed priceless pieces of his extraordinary life to those closest to him, but one emotionally charged object was reserved for his daughter-in-law.
Documents reported on August 28, 2026, revealed how Kirk Douglas and his widow, Anne Douglas, divided their enormous estate among Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and other family members. Catherine’s inheritance was neither a glittering award nor an obvious piece of movie memorabilia, yet its tender meaning makes his decision feel wonderfully personal.
It was recently revealed that Kirk Douglas left Catherine Zeta-Jones a thoughtful gift in his inheritance. In this photo, they attended the Mission Legacy of Vision Gala at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on November 9, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
A Hollywood Fortune Filled With Personal History
Kirk died on February 5, 2020, at the remarkable age of 103. Anne followed in 2021 at 102, leaving behind an estate filled with fine art, major honors, unusual sculptures, and irreplaceable objects from their many decades together.
The trust documents obtained by TMZ show how those belongings were distributed. Kirk’s four sons, Michael, Eric Douglas, Joel Douglas, and Peter Douglas, were considered, while several grandchildren received pieces connected to their grandfather’s extraordinary public life.
Kirk Douglas made sure his sons and other family members received meaningful parts of his estate. In this photo, he posed with Peter, Joel, Michael, and Eric during a gala evening where he was honored by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at Majestic Theatre on April 6, 1987, in Manhattan, New York. | Source: Getty Images
The inheritances appear to have been selected with considerable care. Some relatives received nationally significant awards, while others were left paintings, sculptures, jewelry, or keepsakes that could never simply be replaced with money.
Even the household staff received an unusually intimate opportunity after Anne’s death. They were allowed to look through her closets and drawers and select belongings, giving those who had cared for the couple a chance to preserve something associated with her.
Michael, Joel, and Peter also received the opportunity to choose up to $100,000 worth of memorabilia. Considering Kirk’s career stretched from Hollywood’s golden age well into the 21st century, that collection likely offered a remarkable window into his professional and private worlds.
Michael Received Art With a Biblical Connection
Michael’s individual inheritance included several sculptures, beginning with a wooden rectangular work and five outdoor pieces. Among them were a tall bronze woman, a small Yugoslavian sculpture depicting a nude girl with braids, and another work showing two children.
The most celebrated name attached to his portion belonged to Marc Chagall. Michael received 19 lithographs from the renowned artist’s “The Bible Series,” an extensive collection inspired by stories from the Hebrew Bible.
The works carried considerable artistic importance, but they also reflected Kirk’s own interest in collecting. But Michael did not receive his father’s most recognizable Hollywood award. That honor went to one of his brothers, along with another object celebrating Kirk and Anne as a couple.
An Oscar and Presidential Honor Found New Homes
Joel inherited the honorary Oscar presented to Kirk in 1996. The award recognized an acting career that had already lasted half a century and celebrated one of the film industry’s most commanding leading men.
Joel also received a three-dimensional miniature set featuring Kirk and Anne, as well as several paintings. Meanwhile, Peter inherited a separate group of paintings, allowing the couple’s art collection to remain spread across the family.
Some of Kirk’s most important public honors passed to his grandchildren. Those items reflected a life that extended beyond film roles and red carpets into national recognition.
Cameron Douglas received Kirk’s Medal of Freedom, which President Jimmy Carter awarded to the actor in 1981. Another grandson inherited Kirk’s 1983 Jefferson Award, while further honors went to other grandchildren, and a granddaughter received numerous pieces of jewelry.
Kirk Douglas received the “Presidential Medal of Freedom,” which was recently announced to be passed down to his grandson Cameron Douglas, from President Jimmy Carter on January 16, 1981, in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images
Catherine’s inheritance looked very different from the Oscars, medals, lithographs, and presidential honors given to the rest of the family. It was an artwork built around a relationship, and its title made Kirk’s choice feel almost like a final message.
Catherine Received “The Friendship Bench”
Kirk left Catherine “The Friendship Bench,” a bronze sculpture by John Kennedy. The work features the artist’s characteristically elongated human figures seated together, using their posture and physical closeness to communicate the bond named in its title.
According to its listing, the bronze measures 54.5 inches by 40 inches by 28.5 inches, or approximately 140 by 102 by 74 centimeters. Its listed price is $38,500.
The gift also carried a connection to Kirk’s personal taste. He was one of John’s notable collectors, meaning Catherine received a creation by an artist her father-in-law had admired and supported.
“The Friendship Bench” was included in a public installation of John’s work in Brea, California, in 1998. The group also featured “Sympatico,” “Girl Reminiscing,” and “Iron Bench.”
The thoughtful gift served as a clear sign of how deeply Catherine Zeta-Jones was loved within the family. In this photo, they posed at the premiere of “Diamonds” at Paris Theater on December 2, 1999, in New York, New York. | Source: Getty Images
Catherine Never Hid Her Love for “Pappy”
Catherine joined the Douglas family when she married Michael Douglas in 2000, but her public affection for Kirk never appeared stiff or ceremonial. She called him “Pappy,” posed playfully with him, and spoke about him with the warmth of someone who viewed him as far more than a famous father-in-law.
One especially sweet moment came on December 9, 2019, when Kirk turned 103. Catherine shared an Instagram photograph showing him sitting on her knee and wrote, “This guy on my knee, is 103!!!!! Happy Birthday Pappy!!! I love you with all my heart.”
The image was delightfully funny, with the elderly screen legend happily perched on Catherine’s lap. Her words also left no doubt about the depth of her feelings for him.
Kirk died less than two months later. The photograph now preserves a joyful private moment from the final weeks of his life, with Catherine holding him close and proudly declaring her love.
Placed beside that memory, “The Friendship Bench” feels far from a random item assigned during estate planning. While other relatives inherited objects representing Kirk’s career and public stature, Catherine received a work centered on the quiet language of emotional connection.
Its celebrated maker built an entire artistic career around expressing that kind of feeling without using a single facial feature.
Its Maker Lived Several Lives Before Becoming a Sculptor
John, who lived from 1931 to 2004, became known for graceful bronze figures displayed in parks, universities, and public buildings around the world.
His most famous creations include “Spirit of Audrey,” the tribute to Audrey Hepburn at UNICEF headquarters in New York City, and “The Entertainer,” the official bronze presented to Palm Springs International Film Festival winners.
His route to artistic recognition was anything but conventional. According to his biography, John was born in Rangoon, Burma, to a Scottish textile merchant and a Burmese mother.
During World War II, he was evacuated to northern Burma. His journey took him by boat along the Irrawaddy River to Mandalay and eventually to Moguk.
The tall, elegantly slender Shan people he encountered during those years later influenced the distinctive proportions of his sculptures. John was first introduced to art while attending boarding school in Lucknow, India, although he did not immediately pursue it as his sole profession.
He spent six years in the British Merchant Navy before beginning a career in journalism. John then worked as a photojournalist and eventually opened an international news and photography agency on London’s Fleet Street.
His creative instincts also carried him into the music business. He discovered and managed 1950s British pop star Tommy Steele, who was promoted at the time as Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley.
John then entered the nightclub world during the 1960s. His ventures included London’s first discotheque, the Ad Lib Club, and an exclusive waterfront venue in Majorca called Club Kennedy.
His interests even extended into cooling technology. He helped invent the Micro Cool misting system, which came to be used in outdoor areas at restaurants, hotels, and theme parks across hot desert regions.
Despite those varied careers, art remained his greatest passion. He traveled through Europe, apprenticed with accomplished sculptors, and learned the traditional lost-wax method used to cast bronze.
After moving his family to Palm Springs, California, in 1980, John was finally able to devote himself completely to sculpture. His classical training gave way to a recognizable abstract style filled with extraordinarily tall figures whose faces were deliberately left blank.
He explained his approach plainly: “You can tell so much from a figure’s body language. Even the tilt of the head shows a particular mood or emotion. In this way, the body is a vehicle for the expression of the spirit.”
That philosophy can be seen in “The Friendship Bench.” The emotional power of the bronze comes from the relationship between its two figures and the way they occupy the same space.
John was fascinated by clay and the physical process of shaping emotion through the human form. Although his creations were abstract, their gestures remained familiar enough for viewers to recognize affection, reflection, comfort, or tenderness.
His work attracted prominent collectors, including Kirk, Gunter Sachs, Baron Thyssen, and Jim and Jackie Lee Houston. Critics also noted the almost irresistible physical appeal of the bronzes, which seemed to invite viewers to touch them while being emotionally affected by them.
John’s creations eventually appeared in a wide range of public locations. “Spirit of Compassion,” a companion piece to his Hepburn tribute, was installed at the Audrey Hepburn Children’s House.
“Spirit of Wisdom” went to the University of Santa Monica, while “Amore” was placed in a public park in Bellevue, Washington. In 2021, “Joy of Life” was installed at the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC in Los Angeles.
These works helped establish his international reputation, but the sculpture Catherine inherited carries an especially intimate significance inside the Douglas family. It now ties Kirk’s artistic taste to the loving relationship he shared with his daughter-in-law.
