The Untold Truth Of George And Amal Clooney's Relationship

Amal Clooney: The woman who made George Clooney trade in his bachelor status. It's true. The "Ocean's Eleven" actor had been living his life solo following his divorce from Talia Balsam in 1993. He'd been used to appearing on the covers of magazines and having women swoon over him, but settling down again just wasn't in the cards — and he seemed to like it that way. That was the case, of course, until he met Amal Alamuddin — an international human rights lawyer who was born in Lebanon and raised in the U.K. After being introduced by a mutual friend, George was instantly interested in Amal, though he didn't rush things. Instead, the two formed a friendship that eventually blossomed into romance.

Three months after their July 2013 meeting, the two went out on their very first date, and the rest, as they say, is history. Both George and Amal quickly realized that they'd found their forever person, and the "ER" star didn't waste much time starting their future together. By April 2014, George was down on one knee, and within three years, the couple had married and welcomed children together. "The greatest lesson I learned is to marry the right person, which I did. And so, it has been nothing but an honor and a pleasure to be married to my wife," George told People in September 2025. Now, we're taking a look at some of the lesser-known facts about George and Amal as they continue on their journey through life together. 

Amal Clooney was quite the jet setter and had been traveling abroad on her way to Cannes when she was invited to George Clooney's abode in Lake Como, Italy, by a mutual friend for an evening. "I thought she was beautiful, and I thought she was funny and obviously smart," George told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that was published in September 2017. "Then she sent some pictures from when she was here, and we were writing each other, emailing, talking, mostly about what was going on in each other's lives, and over a period of time it became clear we were more than just friends," he added. 

George and Amal ended up talking for months before he asked her out, inviting her to Abbey Road Studios in London, where he'd been working on "Monuments Men." From there, the two enjoyed dinner at a place that Amal chose. "That was a good first date," George told THR, adding that the relationship moved forward pretty quickly from that point on. The two were able to spend some quality time together while George was in London, and by December, they decided they wanted to spend the Christmas holiday together — somewhere warm and exclusive, so they flew to Cabo for some R&R.

As fate would have it, a special moment between Amal Clooney and a giraffe is what made George Clooney realize that he wanted to propose. After a few months of dating, George and Amal decided to take the trip of a lifetime and go on safari in Kenya. During the trip, George and Amal were busy taking everything in and snapping incredible pictures. After they returned home, George showed the pictures to a friend, and there was one photo in particular that ignited something in him. In a 2018 interview with Vogue, George told the story in his own words. "Some giraffes walked up to her. They just came out of the blue. I took a picture of her, and she was smiling. I said to my buddy Ben, 'You know, I think I should ask her to marry me.' And Ben said, 'I think that's a good idea.'"

The giraffe is the world's tallest land animal and just so happens to be Amal's favorite animal. Knowing that information, a trip to Giraffe Manor was in the cards. For those who may be unfamiliar with the location, Giraffe Manor is a boutique hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, where the giraffes interact with guests and stick their heads in the hotel's windows so that you can feed them. And while it may cost an arm and a leg to spend a night there, the experience was worth every penny for George and Amal.

Perhaps you don't think that George Clooney is the romantic type, but we can assure you that he is. Once he decided that he wanted to marry Amal Clooney, he purchased a ring and got to planning. In April 2014, George decided to cook a romantic dinner at home — the perfect setting for him to get down on one knee. After the two enjoyed a pasta dinner, it was time for George to make his move. 

"I told [Amal] there was a lighter to light the candle in the drawer, and she reached back and pulled out a ring. And 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 songs on it [his late aunt was the singer Rosemary Clooney], and I was waiting for this song, 'Why Shouldn't I?' 'Why shouldn't I take a chance when romance passes by? / Why shouldn't I know of love?' It's a really good song about why can't I be in love? And it played, and she's like, 'Holy s***!'" George recalled in his candid 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

And so, George presented Amal with an ethically mined emerald-cut diamond estimated to be about seven carats — maybe more. The stunning bauble features tapered baguettes on each side of the center stone, and we're pretty sure it's never left Amal's finger. Like, ever.

After getting engaged, George and Amal Clooney jumped into wedding planning. One of the most important things for the duo was privacy. They didn't want their special day to become a spectacle, nor did they want a flurry of media attention. And so, they quietly started planning their big day for a more secluded location — Venice, Italy. The duo invited about 100 people to their soiree, but the whole privacy thing went out the window when someone spilled the beans to the press. "We didn't tell anybody else that we were going to do it," George told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. "But eventually somebody figured it out. Oh, my God! Once people got wind of it, it became an event. We took a bus from here to Venice, then we got on a boat, and once we got on the boat, there were so many paparazzi and so many people standing there waiting. We were sitting down in the boat, and I was like, 'You know what? Why are we hiding? Why are we ducking? We shouldn't be ashamed of this.' And we got up and waved," George said.

The date was September 27, 2014, and everything was perfect. George looked dapper in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while the bride opted for a timeless French lace Oscar de la Renta gown. The newly married Clooneys and their guests celebrated all weekend, eventually wrapping things up by September 29.

Most people think back on George Clooney's life and remember that he was known to be a forever bachelor. What some people may not realize is that Amal Clooney found herself in a similar boat. In fact, before she met the "Michael Clayton" star, she wasn't sure that she would ever find someone worth marrying. "It's the one thing in life that I think is the biggest determinant of happiness, and it's the thing you have the least control over. Are you going to meet this person? 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," she told Vogue in 2018.

After meeting George, Amal knew pretty quickly that he was the one. "It felt like the most natural thing in the world," she told Vogue. George and Amal's romance was like lightning in a bottle. The two simply couldn't wait to spend the rest of their lives together. They met each other's families and friends, and everything fell into place rather quickly — but they wouldn't change a thing.

Another major change in George Clooney's life happened when he found out that Amal Clooney was pregnant. Not only did George think he'd be flying solo for the rest of his life, but he also never saw himself having kids — especially not after he turned 50. But the universe had different plans for him. "It had never been part of my DNA," George told The Hollywood Reporter. He explained that it wasn't even something that he and Amal discussed, but one day, they decided they wanted to be parents together. "[A]fter the wedding, Amal and I were talking and we just felt we'd gotten very lucky, both of us, and we should share whatever good luck we've got. It would seem self-centered to just have that belong to us," George explained. 

By February 2017, the internet was filled with reports that Amal was pregnant and expecting twins. "They're all very happy," a source told People magazine at the time. Of course, George has joked about agreeing to one baby and being shocked that they ended up with two, but he's also very happy that Alexander and Ella, who were born in June 2017, have each other.

Amal Clooney got pregnant naturally at 39 and had a healthy pregnancy, despite being at an advanced maternal age — and giving birth to twins. She felt well enough to be out and about and made quite a few public appearances throughout her pregnancy, showing off her growing baby bump at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and even on the red carpet at the César Film Awards in Paris. When it was time to give birth, Amal was situated in London and gave birth at St. Mary's Hospital — the same place where Princess Diana gave birth to both of her children. In fact, William, Prince of Wales, was the first heir apparent to be born in a hospital. Years later, William's wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, welcomed all three of her children at the same hospital. Suffice it to say, Amal was in excellent care when she welcomed her babies.

"This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives. Ella, Alexander, and Amal are all healthy, happy, and doing fine. George is sedated and should recover in a few days," the couple said in a joint statement shared with People magazine at the time.

George and Amal Clooney have been extremely protective of their two children, who have rarely been seen in public. When the coronavirus pandemic rolled around in 2020, the couple was on board with quarantine recommendations set by the government. They all cozied up at the Clooneys' home in the Hollywood Hills, getting plenty of family time. However, their decision to stay inside and away from the general public went beyond the health advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "I'm very lucky. I ended up having a successful career. I wound up living in a home with some space in it. We can walk around outside," George told The Guardian in December 2020. "My son has asthma. They say it's not so bad on young people. But do we know that? We don't know anything about the long term of this yet," he explained.

In February 2021, George chatted with W Magazine and shared that he'd taken up a new hobby. "I'll tell you what I've taken on as a hobby: two or three loads of laundry a day, dishes all f***ing day, because these kids are all slobs," he said with a laugh. "Apparently, you have to wash your children every once in a while," he added. Aside from the laundry and the bathing, George and Amal also flexed their respective philanthropic muscles and sent more than $1 million in donations to help with relief efforts. Some of the charities that the money went to include the SAG-AFTRA Fund, the Los Angeles Mayor's Fund, and the Lebanese Food Bank. 

George Clooney insists that he and Amal Clooney have never gotten into an argument — and he's tripled down on the statement. Back in 2022, he chatted with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings," sharing that he and Amal's relationship was "the easiest thing in our lives by far," before adding, "we've never had an argument." Flash forward to April 2025, and George provided an update. "I remember we were here with you once before, and I remember we said we'd never had an argument. We still haven't," he said on "CBS Mornings." "We're trying to find something to fight about," he added.

And while some people may argue that science suggests the healthiest relationships involve some level of fighting, George would be among the first people to strongly disagree. On the December 3, 2025, episode of the "New Heights" podcast, co-host Travis Kelce straight up asked George if he was lying about not arguing with his wife. "No, I'm not lying, Travis," George replied, before turning the tables on Kelce. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end didn't miss a beat when he said that he and his fiancée, Taylor Swift, have also never gotten into a fight — even though they've been together for considerably less time. "You know, neither of us are going to win the argument, so why get in it?" George said, adding that at his age, he's really got nothing to argue about.

George and Amal Clooney aren't strangers to living in different areas of the world, and they're both well traveled. After having their two children, settling down and providing some stability became more important to them. Moreover, the couple is determined to foster a safe and secure environment for their kids to grow up in, and that means they will do whatever they can to keep the media away. This is the main reason that George and Amal have decided to become French citizens. And on December 30, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the duo had officially become citizens of France. 

Earlier in the month, George explained why he and Amal settled on France after spending time in the United States and Italy with their brood. "Here, they don't take photos of kids. There aren't any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That's No. 1 for us," he told RTL Radio (via THR). In an interview with Esquire in October 2025, George admitted that he was "worried" about raising his son and daughter in Los Angeles. "I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life. France — they kind of don't give a s*** about fame. I don't want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi," he said. The Clooneys now reside at their humble abode (note: sarcasm), called Domaine du Canadel, a former wine property that they added to their real estate portfolio in 2021.