George and Amal Clooney’s love story commenced nine years ago, and they were smitten with each other from the outset. They lead a contented family life, residing in a village with their two children, whom they tend to primarily on their own.
Despite facing criticism from naysayers, George has stood by his wife’s side and defended her against attacks.
Renowned actor George Clooney rose to fame as one of the world’s most eligible bachelors after his divorce from actress Talia Balsam.
In a 1995 interview with broadcaster Barbara Walters, George admitted that he would never tie the knot again as his first marriage had ended in failure.
When questioned about his decision to never remarry, the renowned Hollywood star admitted, “Because I wasn’t very good at it.”
George and Balsam were wed in 1989 but parted ways four years later in 1993. During that period, George kept his romantic affairs concealed and denied rumors about his alleged relationships with Croatian model Monika Jaksic and actress Katie Holmes.
While many of his colleagues settled down, George chose not to. However, his perspective changed after he met Amal Clooney, who is now his wife, and he decided to give marriage another shot despite his previous vow.
The pair crossed paths in 2013 at a dinner party at his residence attended by George’s parents, Nick and Nina, who sincerely believed the two were meant to be together. Nick explained that he and his wife answered the door and were the first to welcome their future daughter-in-law.
Amal introduced herself, began conversing with the couple and instantly charmed them. Nick mentioned that she was good-looking and that it was apparent that she was “accomplished.” When it was time for dinner, it was clear that she was kind too.
In an interview on “CBS: This Morning,” George said he was no longer a “confirmed” bachelor after meeting the Lebanese and British barrister.
He stated it was love at first sight for him and that everything was effortless with them. The second the producer saw Amal walking through the door, he was “taken” by her.
The couple had a whirlwind romance that included trips to Seychelles and Tanzania. George revealed Amal “swept” him off his feet and admitted:
“I knew fairly quickly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Amal.”
However, for the human rights lawyer, it took a while for her to decide. George divulged the couple had never discussed marriage before when he spontaneously proposed, leaving her stunned.
“Literally, I dropped it on her, and she just kept saying, ‘Oh, my God, and ‘Wow!’ We just sat there, and finally I said, ‘Listen, I’m 52, and I’ve been on my knee now for about 28 minutes, so I have to get an answer out of this or I’m going to throw a hip out. I might not be able to stand back up!” he recounted.
Amal evidently said yes to George’s proposal, which happened in his home with his “Aunt Rosemary’s” tunes playing in the background.
For that big night on April 28, 014, George made dinner for his fiancée-to-be. He revealed he happens to be good at cooking and that Amal usually makes “reservations,” but for the special occasion, he cooked pasta and admitted it did not turn out as he had expected.
The Hollywood couple tied the knot on September 27, 2014, following less than a year of dating, in a lavish wedding in Venice. They later welcomed twins Alexander and Ella in 2015.
The filmmaker is besotted with his “beautiful” spouse, who is a perfect match for him. He spoke lovingly about the mother of his kids, saying:
“I have someone I can talk about anything and someone who I care about more than I’ve cared about anything, so it’s really nice.”
During George’s appearance on “My Next Guest Needs no Introduction with David Letterman” in February 2018, he said Amal brought a significant change in his life:
“I met someone who I would absolutely trade my life for. I met someone, who, her life meant more to me than my life. I had never had that experience before.”
In April 2016, the Kentucky native gushed that he had never been this happy being involved with someone “by any stretch of the imagination.” He added that in his fifties, he found his forever after and is over the moon.
Meanwhile, after meeting George, Amal never thought her life would turn into such a fairytale. She admitted that before crossing paths with him, she had already made peace with the fact that she would become an unmarried woman.
Amal met her beloved husband when she was 35 years old. They kept their newfound romance low-key and spent much of their time in her apartment in London. Soon enough, she felt like she would not want to be involved with anyone other than him.
Wife Criticized for Her Looks
Amal is now 45 years old and looks stunning as ever. However, she has been heavily criticized by fans for her appearance. Social media trolls took to Twitter to hurl insults at the mother of two on different occasions.
In June 2022, one person mentioned The Royal Family accepted donations from George’s wife, writing, “#PrinceCharles & the @RoyalFamily also accepted donations from @CIA puppet George #Clooney’s beard disfigured ugly Amal Alamuddin’s #moneylaundering arms dealer family.”
#PrinceCharles & the @RoyalFamily also accepted donations from @CIA puppet George #Clooney's beard disfigured ugly Amal Alamuddin's #moneylaundering arms dealer family & notorious arms dealer uncle Ziad Takieddine. Equine deformity Amal & Clooney are a PR sham with fake twins. pic.twitter.com/Qx8xwzD5Eu
— NR OL-82 (@NROL821) June 26, 2022
Meanwhile, in September 2015, another social media user stated that although Amal is attractive, she is thin. “She’s lovely, but she has sticky icky skinny legs, ugly shapeless sticks,” wrote the individual.
That same year in January, another Twitter user expressed disbelief that George had chosen Amal to spend the rest of his life with, writing, “I am completely baffled at the fact that when George Clooney finally decides to settle down he picks Amal Clooney, who looks like an ugly man.”
@ELLEmagazine She’s lovely but she has sticky icky skinny legs,ugly shapeless sticks 👎🏼
— GingerMarple (@GingerMarple) September 4, 2015
It was not only the online trolls that critiqued Amal. The Associated Press news agency also undermined her career when they posted a tweet a while ago. In August 2015, the publication came under fire for referring to Amal as an “actor’s wife” while covering an ongoing court case.
Some online users called out the outlet for belittling the noted human rights lawyer’s career. During that period, Amal acted as a civil rights lawyer for three Al Jazeera journalists who were sentenced to prison for reporting “false news.” One person blasted AP by asking what Amal’s personal life had to do with her work.
In addition, Amal has faced sexist coverage from the media before. Even though she handles cases to represent the innocent and prosecute the guilty, all that hard work has been previously overlooked, with the focus shifted to her appearance.
One prime example was when Amal represented the United Nations in 2019. Instead of the media noting what she said during the briefing, they reported on her outfit.
During a March 2022 interview, she was asked about being a public figure, being married to George, and how the media coverage had affected her.
In response, she first shared that her union with the sought-after Hollywood star had been good. She described the father of her children as “inspirational” and “supportive,” adding their marital home is filled with nothing but love and laughter.
I am completely baffled at the fact that when George Clooney finally decides to settle down he picks Amal Clooney who looks like an ugly man
— Nicole (@lilnikkib) January 12, 2015
Amal stated the two of them are happy, which is better than she could have ever imagined, and that she is fortunate to have met her great love in addition to being a parent.
When answering the sexism coverage issue, the brunette revealed that the best thing she does is turn her attention to what is important, which could work in her client’s favor. Amal explained there was nothing she could do if the press decided to report on “irrelevant” matters.
Because such things are beyond her control, she decides not to harp on them and instead continues with her work and life and only hopes for other people to keep up.
Amal and George have been married for eight years. When the lovebirds walked the red carpet at the History Talks 2022 event, the “Ticket to Paradise” star reflected on how far they have come:
“Eight years! And they said it wouldn’t last.”
The proud spouse said “Everything about my wife is sort of magical.” He added everyone realizes that once they know who and what she believes in. George stated there was no bad thing he could name about Amal.
At the time, he also talked about his life at home and said he does not get upset about anything. He also mentioned that he has a good life with an intelligent and gorgeous wife and great kids.
Taking Care of the Kids in the Village
George and Amal are raising their daughters in their village house in a small, beautiful village in Great Britain only an hour from London. The town called Sonning in Berkshire runs along the River Thames.
In October 2022, the Golden Globe award winner revealed they live next to the Mill Theatre, where he goes to see a play from time to time. George explained they have an alley leading directly to the theatre, and they often enjoy themselves there.
The movie star also divulged they have a small restaurant called The French Horn just in their neighborhood, and they have a wonderful “little world” there which is intimate and picturesque with good people. George also spends his time at a local pub called The Crown, where he casually drinks.
The Crown previously advertised the coffee the star drinks, Expresso, with the tagline that reportedly reads, “Hey, George, We Love Expresso.” Moreover, George reportedly drinks in the Bull Inn too, which he previously raved about during his appearance on “The Graham Norton Show,” stating they drink a variety of “pints,” among other things.
The “ER” alum and his loved ones are believed to have moved to their humble abode in 2016. Their home has a 12-seat home cinema and a private swimming pool.
The family patriarch opened up about their home life in a 2021 interview and revealed they do not have a nanny 24/7. However, George explained that a nanny only comes in a few days a week and that most of the time, it’s jus their family of four as being hands-on with their brood is “important” to Amal.
When the rest of the world went on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clooneys survived all on their own without help in their household. The doting dad recalled that he washed the dishes and did the laundry.
George and Amal are raising their children away from the limelight, and the duo even gave them old-fashioned names.
to provide them with “normal names.”
The BAFTA Award winner previously spoke fondly of Amal’s parenting skills and described her as an “Olympic athlete” when it comes to raising their girls.
When asked what he and his wife hope to instill in their kids and the life lessons they want them to learn, George said the couple hopes to instill what everyone else would like their brood to know or have, “which is to pay attention to other people.”
George Clooney and his fiancee Amal Alamuddin attend the Celebrity Fight Night gala celebrating Celebrity Fight Night In Italy on September 7, 2014 in Florence, Italy | Source: Getty Images
Apart from this, The Good German” star shared one other good value that his parents instilled in him as a child: “Challenge people with power, defend people with less power.” He says that if one could apply that, they would have a great life.