A Rare Look Inside George And Amal Clooney's Ultra-Private Lives
George Clooney might not be the major box-office draw he was back in the ‘90s and ‘00s. In fact, he’s only appeared in one widely-released theatrical film, Ticket to Paradise, so far this decade. But he’ll always be Hollywood royalty thanks to his debonair looks, almighty bank balance, and, of course, his relationship with wife Amal Clooney. The pair remain one of the showbiz world’s most intriguing couples, having maintained a relatively low profile since getting together in 2014. Yes, as the saying goes, the less we see, the more we want to know.
First meeting
So how exactly did the pair first meet? Well, it turns out that a friend of George’s was responsible. The individual in question was heading to the E.R. star’s home in the Italian region of Lake Como when they asked if they could bring a pal of their own along.
The pair had been traveling across the boot-shaped country on their way to the French city of Cannes. And the accommodating George was more than happy to say ‘yes’ to an extra guest.
Matchmaking friends
Apparently George’s friends knew before he did that the surprise guest would become his lifelong partner. The Ocean’s Eleven star once explained, “I got a call from my agent who said, ‘I met this woman who is coming to your house, who you’re going to marry.’”
“It really worked out that way.” Yes, although George’s parents were also in attendance, which you may think could have made things slightly awkward, the matchmade pair instantly fell head over heels for each other.
Just buddies
Referring to their initial meeting, George enthused, “And we just talked, we stayed up all night talking. And I got her email address, because she was going to send me some pictures of my parents.”
“So we started writing. I didn’t know if she wanted to go out with me: I just thought we were buddies.” Of course, the Batman and Robin star soon realized that things between the pair were going to get a little more romantic.
First date
Later that year, George and Amal were spotted enjoying a meal out in London during some downtime from the making of his directorial effort, The Monuments Men. He later told The Hollywood Reporter, “That was a good first date.”
“We went for dinner. [Amal] said, ‘Let’s go to this place.’ It was one of those places that was incredibly hip and chic. And when we came out, there were 50 paparazzi there. But she handled it like a champ.”
Giraffe Manor
After spending the festive season in the Mexican resort of Cabo San Lucas together, the pair enjoyed a safari in Kenya. And it was during this adventure that George realized once and for all that she was the one.
He said, “Amal loves giraffes; they’re her favorite animal. She went to this place called Giraffe Manor, where the giraffes stick their heads through the windows and kiss you. I had a picture of her, looking back, smiling at these giraffes and I said [to myself], ‘I think I’m going to ask her to marry me.’”
Popping the question
The couple’s globe-trotting continued with jaunts to Tanzania and the Seychelles and a stay at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City before George popped the question in the spring of 2014.
Surprisingly for a man renowned as Mr. Smooth, the proposal didn’t exactly go to plan. In fact, as he sheepishly explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the whole episode was nothing short of a catastrophe.
Shocked reaction
George said, “I did all the stuff, got down on my knee and did all the things you’re supposed to do. I had a playlist with my Rosemary [Clooney] songs on it, and I was waiting for this song, ‘Why Shouldn’t I?’ … And it played, and she’s like, ‘Holy ****!’ And she just kept staring at the ring, going, ‘Oh, my God.’”
“It was 20 minutes of me on my knee, waiting for her to say yes, because she was so shocked.” Luckily, Amal finally put the Three Kings star out of his misery and accepted.
Telling all
The pair didn’t waste any time telling anyone about it, though. At a Tuscany charity event dubbed Celebrity Fight Night, George told attendees, “I met my lovely bride-to-be here in Italy, whom I will be marrying, in a couple of weeks, in Venice, of all places.”
The Up in the Air actor continued, “I would just like to say to my bride-to-be, Amal, that I love you very much, and I can’t wait to be your husband.”
Star-studded wedding
Just five months later, George and Amal exchanged their vows in a service held at Venice’s high-end resort, the Aman Canal Grande. As you’d expect, there were plenty of celebs in attendance including John Krasinski, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt.
And as you’d also expect, the paparazzi had a field day as a result. The couple initially tried to keep the wedding a secret before realizing that this was practically mission impossible.
Partying into the night
And what a wedding it was! The nuptials were staged across four days including bachelorette and bachelor bashes. And when it came to the ceremony itself, Amal sported an off-the-shoulder gown designed by Oscar de la Renta.
George, meanwhile, donned one of Giorgio Armani’s finest tuxedos. Those attending the reception were treated to a five-course meal, with the party reportedly going on until sunrise the next day.
Idyllic honeymoon
The newlyweds did make sure that no one could gatecrash their honeymoon, though, which they spent in isolated bliss in the British countryside, with their every culinary need catered for, too.
George and Amal were pictured several months later when the former was awarded the Lifetime Achievement at the 2015 Golden Globes. And they continued to enjoy very public dates at the likes of the Met Gala and the Tomorrowland premiere.
Sonning Eye
By this point, the happy couple had also purchased their first property together. In fact, it was the very same house at which they had enjoyed their idyllic honeymoon just months earlier.
Vogue reported that they spent a cool $13 million on the home situated on a tiny River Thames island named Sonning Eye. It boasted “crisp Georgian molding,” “towering ceilings,” and a pool house as well as a fruit-tree-adorned garden and screening room.
Personal future
In May of that year, George once again spoke effusively about how Amal had impacted his life for the better. He told E! News, “All I know is that it sort of changed everything in terms of what I thought my future — my personal future — was going to be.”
George went on to add, “But I’ve always been an optimist about the world. I wasn’t always completely optimistic about how it was going to work out personally for me. But now I am.”
Parenthood prospects
But if you thought George and Amal might soon be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet, then you had to think again. When asked about the prospect of becoming a father by CBS This Morning, the former said, “I don’t really [think about it].”
“I mean, I’ve thought about it, I suppose, but it hasn’t been high on my list. I’ve been asked it a lot lately because I’ve gotten married and I’m doing a movie with kids in it.”
Marriage secret
It might have seemed like early days. But in 2016 George was asked by Extra TV what the secret to his happy marriage was. The Perfect Storm star replied, “Mostly it’s just try not to go very long.”
“We spend an awful lot of time together. We try not to have these huge gaps. We’re able to manage, so far, between my work and her work and the things we’re doing; we’re able to manage it pretty well.”
Romantic meal
In September 2016 the loved-up pair celebrated their second wedding anniversary. And to commemorate the occasion, George did something that he doesn’t appear to do very often: he cooked a romantic meal.
The Syriana star told E! News, “I don’t think she’s ever quite impressed with my cooking. If I slap something together — spaghetti and meatballs — she doesn’t know that it comes in a jar, so I can just fool her with that one.”
Real-estate portfolio
The year 2016 also saw the Clooneys adding to their real-estate portfolio. On this occasion, they bought a $14.75 million condo in Manhattan designed by the Foster + Partners architecture firm.
It was said to be in a super-convenient location for Amal, in particular. Not only was it close to Columbia Law School, where she was lecturing, it was also near the United Nations where she dealt with various human-rights cases.
Philanthropic couple
As well as her teaching and barrister career, Amal has also found the time to establish herself and George as one of the more philanthropic couples in Hollywood. And in 2016 they founded their own eponymous organization.
According to its declared mission statement, The Clooney Foundation for Justice was set up to combat “systemic injustice against vulnerable communities: journalists, women and girls, democracy-defenders, LGBTQ persons, and minorities.”
Expecting twins
In February 2017 a slightly indiscreet Julie Chen revealed to Entertainment Tonight that the Clooneys were now expectant parents. So how exactly did the TV personality get this world exclusive scoop?
Well, Chen explained, “My husband and I saw George and Amal about almost three weeks ago and they casually mentioned that they were expecting twins. We were all like, ‘Is it a secret?’ and George kind of went, ‘No.’ But we didn’t feel right telling anybody.”
Exciting adventure
George later confirmed the news himself on French TV show Rencontres de Cinema. And rather contrary to his earlier comments on the subject of parenthood, the Oscar-winner was super-enthusiastic about the news.
The Confessions of a Dangerous Mind star said, “We are really happy and really excited. It’s going to be an adventure. We’ve sort of embraced it all… with arms wide open.”
Ella and Alexander
Ella and Alexander Clooney were welcomed into the world in June 2017. In an amusing press statement about the news, the family revealed that mother and children were all doing well before adding, “George is sedated and should recover in a few days.”
Three months later, the Good Night and Good Luck director told The Hollywood Reporter that he’d initially been taken by surprise on learning the couple were having twins. He said, “We just sat there, staring at that piece of paper they give you, and I kept thinking there was a mistake.”
Losing hope
In April 2018 Amal decided to give a rare interview to Vogue in which she admitted that she’d started to lose hope of finding “the one” before George had come into her life.
She said, “I was 35 when I met him. It wasn’t obvious that it was going to happen for me. And I wasn’t willing or excited about the idea of getting married, or having a family in the absence of that.”
Harry and Meghan
Soon after, George and Amal headed to another wedding that had even more public interest than their own: that of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a.k.a Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. When asked about their connection to the royals by the Daily Mail, the Money Monster star said, “We live not too far from one another.”
“And we have dinners and stuff and we’re friends with them for all the reasons that you’re friends with anybody. They’re just really nice, fun, kind people. They’re a very loving couple.”
Early courtship
In June that year, Amal once again opened up about her marriage to George, this time at the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award Gala, where her husband was accepting an accolade.
Referring to their early courtship, she said, “I couldn’t sleep when we were apart. And I am told I would display a particular grin and head tilt when reading his text messages or the letters that he would hide in my bag. Five years later, none of that has changed.”
Legal work
Nearly a year on, George told Jimmy Kimmel Live that he and Amal hadn’t seen each other quite as much over the previous 12 months, and this had been chiefly due to her work as a barrister.
Alongside Reuters boss Steven Adler and lawyer Gail Gove, his wife had been busy focusing her efforts on freeing jailed journalists from Myanmar. “And last night they walked out of prison,” George said. “So we were very happy.”
Lockdown time
But George and Amal got plenty of chances to spend time together the following year due to the pandemic lockdowns. You might expect that the situation might have got a little claustrophobic at times.
But the Oscar-winner insisted in December 2020 that he’d still never had an argument with his wife. George said, “A lot of friends’ relationships have been tested. For us, it’s been really easy.”
Wine estate
Mind you, the Clooneys had a lot more space to work with during the pandemic. In 2021 they bought yet another big property, an $8.3 million, 18th-century wine estate in the French region of Brignoles.
Spanning a whopping 425 acres, the plot also boasted a large swimming pool, olive grove, lake, and tennis courts. And as you would expect, the local mayor was more than happy to welcome two A-listers and their young family into the neighborhood.
“Welcome to Brignoles”
Alongside a photo of himself meeting the A-listers, Didier Bremond wrote on his Twitter account, “Welcome to Brignoles! It’s now official, George and Amal Clooney are residents of our beautiful community.”
“I have had the pleasure of meeting them, by their invitation, at Domaine du Canadel, where they will soon set down their suitcases.” Of course, we’ve not even mentioned the properties that George purchased as a single man.
Villa Oleandra
That’s right: in the 1990s, George bought a Los Angeles villa worth $2.2 million that had previously been owned by rock goddess Stevie Nicks! In the following decade, the Out of Sight star also purchased a place in Italy dubbed Villa Oleandra.
And then in 2002 George joined forces with supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber to construct two properties next door to each other in the Mexican region of Los Cabos.
Pride and joy
Judging by the interview he gave in 2010 while promoting The American, his first Italian property had been his true pride and joy. He said, “What changed my life in a very pleasant and unexpected way was buying the villa in Laglio.”
“I thought maybe I would spend a few weeks vacationing. But then I realized how beautiful life was in Italy and how it really helped calm me and not feel so pressured.”
Challenging injustice
In 2022 George and Amal were honored for the work they had carried out with their eponymous foundation. While accepting the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award together on stage, George explained what their motivation was.
The O Brother, Where Art Thou? star said, “I think we’re both inspired by the young people out there challenging injustice in their communities, a new generation that won’t accept the status quo.”
Getting the balance
And it appeared as though the couple’s home life was thriving just as much as their philanthropic endeavors. Speaking in March 2022 to Time magazine, Amal waxed lyrical about the joys of being both a wife and a mom.
She said, “It is a joy beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I feel so lucky to have found a great love in my life, and to be a mother — this is how I get my balance.”
Multilingual kids
Could the Clooney acting dynasty be expanding even further? Chatting in September 2022 to Entertainment Tonight, George revealed that his two children were already harboring acting aspirations. But he also believes they can do something more impactful.
The Good German star said, “My guess is that they’re a little smarter than me, so, they’ll probably do something: they already speak three languages, so, I’m still working on English.”
“Terrible mistake”
George later told Gayle King on CBS Mornings, “We’ve made a terrible mistake. We taught them Italian. But we don’t speak Italian, so we’ve armed them with a language they can harm us with.”
“And we both don’t really know what they’re saying.” It’s a good job that at least someone is fluent in the language, though, as in the summer of 2023, news emerged that the family were thinking of relocating to Lake Como full-time.
Conflict-averse
In October 2022 George told E! News that he and Amal were still very much a conflict-averse couple. He said, “When you’re 61, which apparently I am, as you get older, you’re kind of looking at things a little differently.”
“Amal wants to paint the wall yellow. And if I was younger, I feel like that’s a stupid color. And now you just go: ‘I don’t care. Who cares if a wall’s yellow?’”
Out of his league
While attending a Museum of Modern Art screening of his latest directorial effort, The Boys in the Boat, in December 2023 George was asked by Page Six whether he’d ever felt that Amal was way out of his league.
And further proving why he is often regarded as one of the most charming men in Hollywood, the multi-talent replied, “Yes, and I still do [think that]. Everyone would say the same thing.”
Parental challenges
George also spoke out about how the parental pressures placed on the young rowers in his film had made him think long and hard about his own behavior as a father-of-two.
He said, “It’s a concern [and] I think every parent has the same concern. Make sure that they understand how difficult… and struggling is a big part of learning, so yes, it’s always a question, that will be the great challenge of parenting.”
Ninth anniversary
Just a few months earlier, George and Amal had reached the ninth-wedding-anniversary mark. But somehow it seems fair to say the former’s gift to mark the milestone had left a lot to be desired.
In a chat with Extra, the Intolerable Cruelty star revealed that he’d presented his wife with some pottery, the present synonymous with such a milestone. But Amal hadn’t been particularly impressed with the gesture, remarking, “It wasn’t an exciting one.”
St. Bernard puppy
Luckily, George appeared to then redeem himself with the present he gave Amal for her 46th birthday in February 2024: an adorable St. Bernard puppy that the couple named Nelson.
The pair were pictured taking the pooch for a walk through the French medieval town of Cotignac shortly after. And apart from the difficulty she had in carrying the dog, Amal appeared delighted with the new addition to her family.