George Clooney’s Wife Amal Suffers Attacks Over Looks But He Shuts Critics Down

Sep 22, 2023

George and Amal Clooney are one of Hollywood's most high-profile couples. The two have been married since 2014 and have been going strong ever since. Their bond stands out as they come from vastly different backgrounds, but their shared passion for justice and activism has brought them together.

George, born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1961, is one of the most successful actors of his generation. He has starred in a range of critically acclaimed films, including "Ocean's Eleven," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Ticket to Paradise." George has also been involved in activism and humanitarian work.

Amal, born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1978, is a human rights lawyer who has represented high-profile clients such as Julian Assange and the former prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko. Amal has also worked as a senior advisor to Kofi Annan when he was the UN's special envoy to Syria and has been involved in numerous human rights campaigns.

The couple met in 2013 when George was filming "The Monuments Men" in Italy. The couple started dating, and George proposed to Amal in April 2014.

Their wedding took place in Venice, Italy, in September 2014, and was a star-studded event. 

Since getting married, George and Amal have become a power couple in the world of activism and human rights. They have been involved in numerous campaigns and charitable organizations, and have used their fame and influence to draw attention to issues that they are passionate about. 

George remained a bachelor until he was 53 and for a long time, many questioned if the seemingly perennial ladies' man would ever walk down the aisle. Read on to find out how Amal changed the trajectory of his life with a romance for the ages.

George and Amal’s relationship is a strong one, built on mutual respect, admiration and shared values." George, previously married to actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993, has spoken publicly about his love for Amal, calling her "the love of my life" and praising her intelligence, strength and compassion. Amal, in turn, described her marriage to George as a “joy beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”

Despite their busy schedules and high-profile careers, George and Amal make time for each other and their family. They have two children together, twins Ella and Alexander Clooney, and have built a global life for themselves across their many homes, including a nine-bedroom manor on the Thames just outside of London, and a 25-room villa on the banks of Lake Como in Italy.

In September 2022, the pair celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary and appeared on “CBS Mornings” together to share their first impressions of one another. George said: 

“It was easy, it was the minute she walked in the door. I was just you know taken by her… she's this extraordinarily fun and smart, beautiful, great woman and… I was just very taken with her and I started writing her letters.”

Amal returned the compliments and said:

“I met him, and I thought, ‘I'm so glad that there's someone like him in the world.’ I didn't necessarily imagine that I would get to spend my life with him or that we would have this incredible family, so he took me by surprise.”

In an interview with David Letterman, George explained how much his priorities changed after meeting Amal.

“I met someone who I would absolutely trade my life for. I met someone (whose) life meant more to me than my life. I had never had that experience before,” he stated.

The love story of George and Amal has captivated countless hearts around the world, but it's also unleashed debates about power dynamics within a couple and prejudice when it comes to male-female roles in society. As a conventionally beautiful woman, Amal is a natural target of the media’s focus – but not always for the right reasons. Despite her professional achievements, Amal is often pigeonholed as nothing more than just an “actor’s wife” by the press, which tends to focus more on what she’s wearing than who she’s representing in court.

Such was the case when the Associated Press published a social media post referring to Amal as exactly that. It read:

“Amal Clooney, actor's wife, representing Al-Jazeera journalist accused in Egypt of ties to extremists.” 

The post incited fierce criticism, particularly women, who took issue with Amal being made to seem like a trophy wife instead of an accomplished lawyer in her own right. Emma Gray, The Huffington Post's Senior Women's Editor, remarked it “really shows how deeply ingrained sexism is.”

Amal welcomed the blowback, telling the BBC that although there wasn’t “much I can do to control it except keep going,” she added, when “people criticize journalism that focuses on the wrong issues, that's heartening and that shows that people expect more from their press.”

The lawyer affirmed her stance in another interview with Time magazine and said she’s not too bothered by it.

“If I am at a work function and reporting of it focuses on irrelevant issues, there’s not much I can do about that. Since I can’t control it, my approach is just not to dwell on it and just get on with my work and my life and hope that attitudes will catch up,” she expressed in Time’s 2022 Person of the Year issue.

She continued:

“And I do actually feel like there is a female solidarity that has built up on these issues where other women will sort of call that out in a way that maybe wouldn’t have happened five or 10 years ago. So attitudes are changing.”

George, meanwhile, admitted there are some aspects of his wife’s job that fill him with fear.

“My wife goes to dangerous places all the time,” he told ASPIREist, “and quite honestly, it bothers me.” 

It’s clear George’s concern for his wife comes from a place of true endearment, which explains why they told CBS Mornings they’ve never had a single argument! He said:

“I'm not mad at anything. I got a brilliant, beautiful wife, I got two knuckleheads for kids, life's great.” 

In another interview with ET Online, George gushed:

"Everything about my wife is sort of magical, as I think everybody has come to realize as they see her and hear her and hear what she stands for."

As for the media’s constant focus on Amal’s fashion choices instead of professional work, George believed it was a no-brainer as to why.

“She’s stunning and has a great sense of style — there’s no stylist or anything, she just comes out like that and she shows up and she looks stunning. And she does it while she’s got 11 cases going — literally. So she’s an amazing woman,” he commented.

He also told The Hollywood Reporter despite the constant scrutiny, he wouldn’t change his position for anything in the world. He divulged:

“Every single day of my life, I just feel lucky. Lucky in my career. Lucky enough to have found the perfect partner. Sometimes in life it doesn’t happen on your schedule, but you find the person that you were always supposed to be with. That’s how I feel, and I know that’s how Amal feels.”

Do you believe George and Amal's bond resonates both emotionally and professionally? If their love story touched your heart, pass it along to all the romantics in your life.