Michael Douglas explains reference to jailed son Cameron in Emmy's acceptance speech
MICHAEL Douglas used his Emmy's acceptance speech as an opportunity to draw attention to what he believes to be an unjust federal prison system.
MICHAEL DouglasÂ’ speech was one of the highlights at last night's Emmys, but he did manage to get a couple of poignant points across.
The 68-year-old took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie at the awards for his stellar performance in the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra and gave a special "shout out" to his eldest son Cameron, who is serving a 10-year sentence in prison on drug charges.
"I'm hoping I'll be able to - [they'll] allow me to see him soon," Douglas said on stage about his 35-year-old son.
Backstage, he elaborated on the comment.
"Well, my son is in federal prison based upon – he’s been a drug addict for a large part of his life and was arrested and selling drugs and is in federal prison," Douglas told US Weekly.
"And part of their punishments if you happen to have a slip - this is for a prisoner who is nonviolent - as about a half a million of our drug addicted prisoners are, they punish you. So for my son's case, he's spent almost two years in solitary confinement and right now I'm being told that I cannot see him for two years.
"It's over a year now and I'm questioning the system. Obviously, at first, I was certainly disappointed with my son, but I've reached a point now where I'm very disappointed with the system."
During his speech, Douglas also thanked his wife Catherine Zeta Jones. The pair, who have two children together, recently separated, but there has been no talk of divorce.
Read more at US Weekly.