Widow of Hollywood Legend Kirk Douglas Dies at 102

Widow of Hollywood Legend Kirk Douglas Dies at 102
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Widow of Hollywood Legend Kirk Douglas Dies at 102

Widow of Hollywood Legend Kirk Douglas Dies at 102

Anne Douglas, a philanthropist and widow of Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, died Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills, her family said. She was 102.

Kirk Douglas, who died in February 2020 at the age of 103, met his future wife in Paris in 1953, while filming "Act of Love."

After a whirlwind courtship, the couple got married in Las Vegas on May 29, 1954.

"It wasn't romantic, but it was legal and her new husband vowed that someday he would marry her again in a big celebration," the Douglas family said in their statement.

Kirk Douglas, one of the last superstars of Hollywood's golden age of cinema renowned for performances in "Spartacus" and "Paths of Glory," fulfilled that promise in 2004 for their 50th anniversary.

The couple were married for 66 years and had two sons, Peter and Eric. Their family also included two other sons, Michael and Joel, children from Kirk Douglas's first marriage.

Anne Douglas was active in diplomacy and philanthropy, including visiting 44 countries as a goodwill ambassador for American values, work for which she was honored by the State Department's United States Information Agency.

Her philanthropy benefited causes including performing arts, women's cancers research and homeless women.

After learning of unsafe playgrounds at Los Angeles schools, Anne was determined to fix them.

"She convinced her husband the only way to fund the massive endeavor was to auction most of their art collection at Christie's," the family said, adding that the effort had resulted in 403 refurbished play spaces.

"I often wonder what would have happened to me if I hadn't married Anne," her husband had said. "I might not have survived without her business acumen and her finely-honed instincts."



Tomorrowland Music Festival Opens after its Main Stage was Destroyed by Huge Fire

The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
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Tomorrowland Music Festival Opens after its Main Stage was Destroyed by Huge Fire

The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
The burned main stage is seen at the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom, Belgium, Friday, July 18, 2025, two days after a huge fire destroyed the stage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Fans roared in excitement and organizers sighed with relief as the Tomorrowland music festival kicked off Friday — just two days after a massive fire engulfed the main stage and threw one of Europe's biggest summer concert events into doubt.

Workers labored around the clock to clear out the debris from the elaborate backdrop that was consumed in Wednesday's fire.

Shouting ‘’We made it!'', the festival's opening performers, Australian electronic music group Nervo, were able to take to the main stage Friday after a last-minute scramble and slight delay. Some charred frames were still visible behind them.

No one was hurt in the fire, organizers said. The causes are being investigated.
Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world attend Tomorrowland's annual multi-day festival outside the Belgian town of Boom.

Some 38,000 people were camping at the festival site Friday, Tomorrowland spokesperson Debby Wilmsen said.

’’Maybe there are some few people that say, OK, we would like to have a refund, but it’s only like a very small percentage because most of them are still coming to the festival,” she told AP.

“It is all about unity, and I think with a good vibe and a positive energy that our festival-goers give to each other and the music we offer, I think they will still have a good time,″ she said. ’’We really tried our best.″

Australian fans Zak Hiscock and Brooke Antoniou — who traveled half the world to see the famed festival as part of a summer holiday in Europe — described hearing about the fire.

“We were sitting having dinner when we actually heard the news of the stage burning down. We were very devastated and shattered, quite upset because we travelled a long way,'' Hiscock said.

Ukrainian visitor Oleksandr Beshkynskyi shared their joy that the festival went ahead as planned.

‘’It’s not just about the one DJ or two DJs you’re looking to see, but about all the mood and about the dream being alive," Beshkynskyi said.