Cancer-Stricken Michael Douglas Still Traveling to Visit Locked-Up Son

Rep says that despite debilitating treatments, the Oscar winner continues to support Cameron during prison sentence

By Marianne Garvey Oct 29, 2010 7:17 PMTags
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Michael Douglas just got our vote for Father of the Year.

Despite debilitating treatment for advanced throat cancer, the Oscar winner has been regularly making the grueling three-hour trip from his Manhattan apartment to Lewisburg, Pa., to visit his imprisoned son, Cameron.

"He's visiting with him as often as he can," Douglas' rep, Allen Burry tells E! News.

And how often is that?

"He's not going every day and not as often as he would like, but he is still visiting with him," Burry said.

Cameron, 31, was sentenced in April to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for heroin possession and conspiracy to sell crystal meth and cocaine. He is currently serving his time at Lewisburg Federal Prison Camp, 200 miles outside of New York City.

According to the prison's rules, father and son meet in the visitor's room located on the grounds and have access to just a vending machine area for meals.

The trip is taxing for the elder Douglas, who just completed treatments three weeks ago and is still "recuperating from the process," said Burry, adding that he is done with treatments for the near future. 

"Obviously he has to recuperate and is not going to be out dancing soon, but he is recovering nicely and no more are scheduled," he said, adding that the cancer docs are "happy with his response to the treatments."

He underwent eight weeks of radiation for a walnut-sized tumor at the base of his tongue and according to Burry he "remains in good spirits."

During Cameron's court case, his famous father and movie-star stepmother, Catherine Zeta-Jones, wrote to the judge  asking for leniency for Cameron.

"I've taken blame about being a bad father, if being a bad father is working your butt off trying to create a career at one time," wrote Michael. "I've also confessed the fact that I was in rehab 20 years ago...The other part, of course, is genes. I lost a brother with an overdose four years ago. I have another brother who has been on the program for years. My ex-wife's family has alcoholism running in it."

But he didn't let his son off scott-free, adding, "he took a lot of lowlifes and he was a very attractive target to hang out with and I don't think that helped, either."

Now, the Douglases are just trying to get through the most difficult times of their lives, together, as father and son.