I love this cover so hard. I want to marry this Star cover without a prenup and have a cash-money baby with it. Amal Clooney is a golddigging hussy: yay or nay? Amal refused to sign a prenup! Amal is using George! Amal is forcing George to buy her parents a gold-plated mansion! Amal doesn’t even love George! Well, that’s one PR campaign that blew up in George Clooney’s face. You know what would fix all of this? An Alamooney baby. God, you know that’s next. Anyway, some highlights from my favorite Star cover story in months.
George is rich. While Amal was a successful lawyer before she met George, “money truly is no object for him and he lives a magnificent lifestyle.” A lifestyle of private jets, mansions and couture fashion!
George’s friends question Amal’s motives. George is worth $180 million and she didn’t sign a pre-nup. “George thinks Amal is the best thing that’s ever happened to him and he can’t give her enough… his friends just hope he made the right decision and that Amal will make him as happy as he’s determined to make her. But some fear she could be a golddigger!”
Amal was withholding. During their brief, six-month courtship, George knew “fairly quickly” that Amal was The One – “he’d never met anyone like Amal, he fell in love right away and for him that’s a big deal. But their relationship was very one-sided. Amal was so cautious about committing, he practically had to beg her to marry him!”
Amal didn’t expect to marry him. A source says: “The proposal really caught Amal off-guard. She was aware of his reputation as a confirmed bachelor and thought marriage was the last thing on his mind. But she enjoyed living his lifestyle. From day one, George has treated her like a princess, showering her with gifts and flying her around the world.”
Amal is a social climber. She comes from a family of prominent intellectuals, but was never wealthy. Star writes: “Many of Amal’s friends viewed her as a social climber, which might explain her relentless pursuit of high-profile cases in her law career.” A source says: “Amal likes the finer things in life, and all her friends know it. They’ve said she’s only interested in rich men.”
Amal settled. “She knew this [marriage] would be the end of any privacy she had, plus George’s life is so different from hers. There would have to be a lot of compromises, but ultimately she felt that at 36, she should be settled down with someone.”
Amal spends money like water. “Amal regularly spends thousands on designer clothing and accessories, eating at the best restaurants and drinking $500-a-bottle wines.” Since the wedding, Amal has been “blowing through a whopping $2 million each month.”
Amal is real estate-obsessed. George bought the $15.5 million estate in England for her and she’s “been spending tens of thousands remodeling it. Everything is custom-designed and she’s picked out rare art pieces that are extremely expensive.”
George wants to buy her parents a mansion. He’s looking at a $15 million mansion near Beirut to buy for her family as “a gesture of love and respect for Amal’s family.”
The pre-nup. George apparently brought a pre-nup and “Amal refused to sign George’s prenup. And he was so desperate to marry her that he didn’t force it.” If Amal stays with George for another few years, she could score a major payday in a potential divorce.
[From Star Magazine, print edition]
Obviously, Gossip Cop’s “source” says that the entire story is BS. But… I believe some of it. I believe she probably refused to sign a prenup. I believe that she’s been spending a crazy amount of money on clothes and mansions. I believe she really, really enjoys George’s jet-set lifestyle, just as she enjoys her pap stroll fashion shows and being invited to all of the big events with all of the important people. I also believe she was probably just withholding enough to “catch” George. That’s a smart game for a clever girl. When he proposed, she probably hesitated for so long because she couldn’t believe her game had worked so well and so fast.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I’m sure she signed a prenup when she signed the contract.
right! 😉
Lol. Cuz u know she signed something
I think the $15M Mansion in the UK was her premarital gift. Betcha that mansion is in her name alone and she gets it in the divorce along with other goodies.
Stephanie March should have had lunch with Amal before she married Bobby Flay.
That house is definetly hers, theres no way George is going to be living there. What gets me is if she is such a big influential high flying ‘human rights’ lawyer why couldnt she buy her own house.
I believe Amal is a total goldigger and a climber.
Why is it so unbelievable that just because she’s a lawyer that she somehow is not enamoured with Hollywood, fame and money and goldigging. IMO She is a goldigger and a total famew…….
She was not wealthy when she began dating him. There is not even much talk of her owning a place in London. Where did she live? She certainly couldn’t afford a Mansion and even her clothes were a mosh mash of tacky looking teenage bad dream clothes,
Something about her has rubbed me as insincere ,fake and totally out for fame and big moneyed life since the engagement.
I believe Amal is a goldigger who played her game well, at a higher level than his previous contracts and because of her career as a lawyer and George wanting to improve his image after being a joke at the Golden a Globes two years ago, she knew she had more leverage than the previous contracts and just went for the full gusto.
When Amal and George dissolve this Union, she will be paid handsomely or already has with that Berkshire Mansion.
Who knows….George may be trying to unload her in a year and beginning her negative PR campaign. George has never had much bad pr in the tabloids before. Interesting bad press is now coming with Amal. I don’t think it’s just because tabloids like to rip her apart either. Amal had Georges pr team protecting her and her pr was all golden for months. It’s interesting now some negative pr is funneling through to the tabloids. Believe me this is no accident, someone wants this out there.
Amal may not be the value for money payed out that George had hoped for..She has not helped George accomplish what he had hoped for perhaps ( his films are the biggest Bombs,Failures of his career. His marriage is side-Eyed and snickered at. Amal has not exactly been exuding warmth and the much of the public either doesn’t seem to care about her or finds her cold or smug ,even with all the constant gushing Georges pr has done.)
Maybe George is figuring she’s not bringing the value he hope for and its time for her slow parting of ways.
Belljar, totally agree.
She simply doesn’t deliver HER part of the deal- and that to George will be the deal breaker, sooner or later. But it seems he gave someone authority of his PR who doesn’t really know much about it. They didn’t count on a public being much more informed than, let’s say, 20 years ago. Or on people practicing critical thinking;-)
ROTF!
She sounds like she followed the advice in “the rules”. I don’t fault her. George strung along alot of girls, so I don’t feel bad for him. What goes around, comes around. I do hope they at least like each other and are not just a pap-pleasing couple.
It’s so regressive to applaud women for successfully landing a rich husband rather than being leaders themselves, but George so deserves this. He acted like only an educated, hard working woman – who is also beautiful and classy – could land him, but in reality she’s just a budget gold digger using him for her own gain. No genuinely accomplished independent woman wants him.
Amen to this! She’s a highly educated beard, and she doesn’t mind.
Sorry, not a fan of Amug at all. Blech….
Exactly, no decent women would do that.
How can you be accused of stringing anyone along when you repeatedly state you’ll never marry again?
To be fair, he did repeatedly say that (publicly) through the years. Yet some either view that as a challenge or something that could change in the ‘right’ situation.
I think at least one of the previous girlfriends was allegedly dumped after making comments about marriage or kids.
Clooney? NOT enforce a prenup? Ha ha ha ha ha! After the hell he went through with his first marriage and divorce with Talia Balsam?! I. don’t. think. so.
I doubt there is any other barrister with the few years of experience she has making enough money to buy the designer clothes she buys. Your everyday lawyer here in the states might make a nice living but there are very few that make enough to have couture fashion for their everyday wear. Girlfriend is looking for a payday as are mom, dad and sister….
NO LAWYER, full stop, can really afford her wardrobe and lifestyle (hundreds of thousands of dollars on designer wear for just a few months’ worth of pap walks?) Even the partners at big firms only get a few million a year.
Um, that’s not true. I work as a tax accountant that specializes in serving high net worth individuals, and we have a ton of clients who are lawyers, a majority of whom make much more than a couple of million a year. One of my favorite clients is a lawyer who rakes in at least $30 million a year and has a net worth that is much more than Clooney’s (over $250 million). Oh, and he’s not even 50 yet. And he’s single. 🙂 So while not all lawyers are super wealthy, it definitely is possible and much more common than you would think.
@Thatcatlookslazy You’re talking about the handful of lawyers IN THE WORLD who do earn that much, and I suspect your clients who do earn decamillions dabble in things other than legal services (property development) and derive their income from other sources or provide additional services to their legal advice. Most lawyers are not mega rich, and those who do rake in millions each year are either too busy to spend it or too old to enjoy it. George funds Amal’s wardrobe or she gets all that stuff for free.
False. There are some that can. Do you know how much money class action lawyers can make on a single lawsuit? A disgusting amount.
Source: I’m a lawyer.
I’m a solicitor too and you’re talking about the Schoenbergs and Brockoviches. There are probably 12 of these cases a year in the world, tops. This is not a consistent source of income at all. The decamillion annual salaries are most probably from investments.
for the love of….she’s been an attorney for 13 years. she’s accomplished in her own right. how do you have any idea what she can and cannot afford? attorneys who practice at the level she practices are not making pennies. she’s worth reportedly $2 million dollars, which means she has plenty of money for designer clothing.
Math is seriously a lost art. Not sure I believe the 2 mill a month spending, but just the clothes she wore in NYC alone the actual costs was over $500,000 in a month. She didn’t wear anything twice either. A lot were new too, because they were just out in the fashion line. Look at the Daily Mail they enjoyed pricing her outfits for you. Now 2 mill for a junior barrister would be high, but I’ll give you that, with taxes you would be out of money in a few months. She either had a lot of money pre-marriage, which why wouldn’t she dress like that before, (Hello Kitty to my understanding isn’t couture.), or George is helping to fund her couture habits or she is getting them for free from designers. Don’t understand the big deal with people trying to prove this is her money and career doing this. It is most likely not. She married a wealthy man, and now is photographed a lot, and wants to look good so who cares. Why does it make it better if she paid for it? It is what it is she likes it, and is dressing how she wants now.
She was called to the bar in the UK since 2010. How is that 13 years?
If she has millions it is family money and not from practicing law. Top partners in NY and London might pull off a few million a year but they have decades of experience and not barely five years. And she is not a QC or even a partner at her chambers. I doubt she is earning even $500,000 from her practice. You would have to work a lot of hours and not take months off like she has to earn even close half a million.
I’m not necessarily trying to prove it’s her career or money–her new wardrobe is probably a combo of George paying for a lot of it and fashion houses gifting her a lot of it (which is likely the source of most of her clothing). I could care less about what she wears and who pays for it though. I just think this notion that she was this brand-spanking new attorney without any income prior to George to be ridiculous. It feels like people want to make her out to be some bimbo when in reality she’s likely smarter than the whole of hollywood put together. She was hugely successful (and still is) and wealthy in her own right (and sure, not as wealthy as George but a $2m net worth for a 37 year old attorney is not something to snark at).
@nic919 she passed the NY state bar in 2002 and then passed in England in 2010. It seems a lot of people aren’t counting the time she spent in the US as an attorney.
lem
To counter the Amal a fashion girl image it’s been put out in publicist friendly outlets like People Amal does not take those gifts. She dresses herself and buys her own clothes. A friend that was suspected as being a personal stylist helped her shop for some of her better outfits, but that was as far as that went.
The math of it doesn’t support Amal buying her new styles herself. Yes, 2mil is not nothing. It just can’t support the visible spending habits we’re seeing. Even if she is gifted half of her outfits she would blow through her funds by now.
And she has repeated a few tems, that i’ve noticed, but i don’t really follow.
“Human rights” lawyers generally do NOT make the kind of money that would lead to a $2 million net worth at age 37. She likely made low six figures when she was at Sullivan & Cromwell in NYC and a similar amount after she returned to the UK and started working in her current chambers. She probably has family money and now access to Clooney’s millions as well.
She likely doesn’t own most of those gowns (if any). She’s fantastic advertisement for designers
I’m not saying she hasn’t achieved a certain level of career success. I find it hard to understand why some people believe the amazing career wealth and success, but poo poo these gossip stories about pre-nups and gold digging. Here is a tip, the story is somewhere in between, because the middle is the most boring for the gossip media so they swing to the edges. It’s generally a nugget of truth and the creative writing begins. Still the stories go both ways, not just the crazy mean stories, but also the saint stories.
Let’s be honest with your disdain for intelligence in Hollywood, play your story out why would an extremely intelligent career driven 36 year old attorney fall for an actor in less than a year. Just saying, doesn’t make a lot of sense. Also, Hollywood isn’t exactly intellectually free, keep in mind one of the smartest minds in the world Steve Jobs created Pixar Pictures in addition to Apple.
I don’t think she actually owns any of the pieces she wears. There’s a reason why you never see her wearing anything twice. I bet clooney got some sway power and got them either reduced from the market price, on loan, or been gifted.
She worked in New York for three years and even in 2015 Sullivan and Cromwell first year salaries are only $160,000. They were not that 13 years ago. She also would have had to complete pupillage to be a barrister in the UK and that is not high paying. In some cases you are not paid for pupillage at all.
The lawyers who make millions are working non stop and it takes many years to start earning millions, if that even happens at all. And the lawyers who make this much are equity partners with a significant share in ownership and who work insane hours. None of this is the case here. If she was a personal injury lawyer who won a few high profile cases with high jury awards, then her cut through contingency fees could be pretty high, but that does not happen in human rights cases.
So if she is actually worth 2 million, then it is not through her earnings as a lawyer. Too many lawyer shows out there make it look like you get rich quick when you become a lawyer. That is not true at all. Some get very rich, but it is a small minority.
I actually don’t think it’s fair to call her a gold digger, because it does look like Clooney pursued her, and she may as well enjoy the benefits of all his money, which I am sure he has no problem letting her spend.
I realize most lawyers don’t make millions (I am a lawyer so trust me, I’m very aware of how little money we make lol and how hard you have to work to even make $70k). That said, I also realize that we’re talking about an attorney who regularly represents leaders and countries in disputes and is a regular at the U.N.– she is part of that elite group of attorneys who might make millions (as opposed to say PI or divorce attorneys). She was an attorney in NY prior to the lawyer bubble bursting so it’s not out of the realm to believe she made much more than what is now being reported as starting salaries (I’m not saying millions but it’s safe to assume that her salary was actually higher than what they are now as firms are still recovering from the burst). Further, she probably would have been a lateral hire and not a first-year hire when she moved across the pond even though she was recently licensed in England. I would imagine that there isn’t a huge difference in skill set when you’re practicing at the international level as opposed to domestic law.
I have no idea if her family has/had money or if $2m is even realistic–prior to George she may have squirreled away money in investments. I guess my point is that you’re not dealing with a run of the mill attorney when discussing her skillset and potential salary. She’s incredibly successful. Basically it just pisses me off when people try to belittle her career . I don’t care how much money she makes or how much she spends.
She doesn’t seem cold, just nervous. I find her to be accomplished and beautiful, I think it’s a case of the nerdy chick getting the hot guy. Gold digger doesn’t read with this one, but it’s a sloooow week for the goasipragz.
In Australia successful barristers make thousands per day – enough for a few designer dresses – I imagine the same is true for the UK. Americans don’t realise that a barrister is paid considerably more than a standard lawyer.
It’s a very competitive field whether you’re a barrister or solicitor. Legal services is not a highly scalable model for business. If you do manage to book $5000 worth of clients for every working day of the year (say 250 after public holidays), that’s still only $1.25 million a year, or $2.5 million if you book $10000. Not spare change to anyone but hardly mega riches. And you still have to spend all your time cultivating relationships with solicitors for referrals. Barristers are also rarely mega rich unless they inherited it or hold significant investments in other areas or handle major deals/commercial litigation cases all the time (but these cases are so rare you can’t count on it as a consistent source of business). In which case you’ll have heard about the said cases in the media.
Yet Amal didn’t even really have her own London place, reports are she lived off mom s dime, something about living at moms.
Could she also have been hesitating because of … well covers like this one and (cele)bitchy posts like this?
The derangement syndrome over Clooney’s women is real and depressing.
You’re fooling yourself.
I don’t know if I should feel happy that there are less and less fake attacking stories coming out about my female crush Angelina Jolie Pitt or feel sad that the media has now turned on Amal who has nothing to do with the showbusiness.
I stopped buying or reading these gossip pages years ago because they are vile and rude towards women. I especially find it sad that it is mostly women who attack other successful women instead of praising them for taking a stand in the male dominated world we currently live in.
How can we demand men to respect us when we women ourselves don’t even respect other women?
I have seen lots of comments here where Angelina haters are putting her down by making Amal look more better and vice versa. Why can we just applaud the fact that Amal is a successful barister while Angelina is a successful actress, director and humanitarian worker?
Now since George has famous celeb friends who will stand by him – the media is instead attacking his wife. So what if she likes the fame and attention – she is still working and earning her own money. Why is that so bad?
THIS x1,000. THANK YOU. I’m truly getting sick of seeing such ugliness on this forum and elsewhere.
Women just can’t seem to win. And I don’t think we ever will, so long as we continue this kind of childishness.
Yeah I truly don’t get the hate for her. I expected to see the kind of spite she gets on this site from more sexist sites.
Thank you for this comment! You are so right.
Well said ladies. I agree with all four of you!
Given your avoidance of gossip rags, I’m a bit confused as to your interest in this site. However, your comments do represent the diversity of thought expressed here. This site is one with more balanced, respectful, and civilized commenters than most others. Just because people feel free to criticize celebrities (male and female), express and opinion on their behavior, and question their choices and motives doesn’t mean they are disrespectful or demeaning.
+1,000 percent and a well thought out response.
I don’t dislike Amal at all. I dislike the publicity. Either women are saints or sinners in the public eye. Amal just seems to me to be a normal career woman with a pretty good career path so far. Why can’t she just be that not the next great coming in fashion, beauty and human rights. Just too much. I blame George for this as he is obviously controlling the message. Just like his last few pictures he seems to have fallen flat too, and it is all catching up with him.
This. I have respect for her career; it is the sheer amount of pap-walking and media coverage that is such a joke. That’s what I mock.
@noway,
You ‘blame George for this’? How is that not making Amal into a victim?
Amen. Venue is everything. I could get behind this kind of comment someplace like a movie forum, fashion forum, etc, but come on, this site is called “Celebitchy.” I mean, it’s right there in the title. And as Beatrice said, the level of discourse here is pretty level-headed compared to much of what you’ll see on similar sites.
Amal isn’t a victim either she willingly participates. George just controls the publicity and storyline, mainly because he is the only one speaking. He is speaking about her a lot. I believe both of them are somewhat intelligent people, and if they wanted a different story there would be one. I don’t really dislike either one, I dislike the story idea. Womanizing charming man finally meets a “respectable” woman and changes his philandering ways for love. Very old story, and George is selling it and Amal is letting it be sold. Just too much now.
Hear, Hear. Listen, it’s called Cele”bitchy” for a reason. Play in your own sandbox if you don’t like this sand.
My thoughts exactly. Another day. Another woman dragged by the press.
It’s so sad. You are just not satisfied with body shaming her (too skinny?), doubting about her career all the time (yes, we women can’t be succesful, it’s something so rare that we need to put the FBI to investigate if she really is all that and why), now are we calling her a gold digger? Yes, I don’t like the fact that she wears incredibly expensive outfits all the time, that she wears fur or seems to have a lifestyle not really coherent with human right’s. But then, go and take a look in the UN and the type of people working there. Not poor activists, I can assure you. Usually career focused people coming from the best universities, therefore, not the less priviledged people. I think Amal has that type of profile, she probably believes in what she does but has also ambitions career wise. So, apparently, she is a complex human being with contradictions, not just someone evil or a saint, like the media loves to portray all women. It would be so refreshing to read such descriptions of women, as complex human beings, who sometimes make somethings right, others not so much. I know this is gossip site, but it is a gossip site that prouds itself as being “smarter” than other similar blogs/magazines. Not this time with this post, definitely. Finally, I am not a native English speaker, so don’t expect perfect grammar from me 🙂
Amen sister. The constant dissecting of her clothes, hair, career, etc… very few celeb spouses get this level of hate, which is frankly completely undeserved. She was already an accomplished professional when she met George. Some commenters nitpick her salary and tenure but excuse me, compared to most celebs or their spouses, she is way more educated, better spoken, well-traveled and most likely more intelligent. She was not a wannabe model, or wrestler, or waitress/aspiring actress/singer. She did not have booty shots on Instagram, pouting at the camera or leaving bars drunk. Whether she made half a mil or more (or less) is irrelevant. She is now married to a wealthy man – should she wear discount mall stuff? Why?
Maybe her hubby loves her to be well dressed, maybe the fashion houses send her free clothes (I am sure the latter is true to a large extent) because she gets photographed so much. (I mean if they dress the horrible KK women, why not Amal??)
And the no prenup?? Well good for her. I find the idea of prenups insulting. Before my current marriage I was briefly engaged to a major sports star. If he had even broached the subject of prenups I would have left the room and him in a heartbeat. It had nothing to do with gold digging, but I would have been insulted if he would have for a second assumed that was the case.
As for him having to pursue her, it just proves the point that some guys still like to court a woman and not have her drop her panties after the first date. And that not being at his beck and call inspires respect, and in turn that leads to a commitment. Old fashioned but so true. Some of you will disagree with that, free love and all.. and hey, if you are in it just for fun that’s great. But I have seen so many women get hurt and dumped when the guy would move on to someone who would be hard to get as opposed to easy pickings.
Maya
This is an interesting topic. Yes, some take it too far, but we all know where we are.
Points!
-George has been married once. He said he could never marry again. He was a terrible husband and not someone who liked to be married.
-George was testing waters for political career for well over a decade. Was told a wife with humanitarian backround would be ideal. This was no secret and openly joked about.
-And his award season gfs weren’t helping his goals.
Amal
-Accomplished international attorney working with humanitarian causes. She enjoys the life her husband gave her access to. And there’s no shame in that. There is the issue of al these PR stories coming most likely from Clooney camp saying how Amal isn’t into the glam. The evidence suggests she enjoys it a lot. So, why act like she doesn’t? Is it awful if she both works hard and enjoys to get out? Clooney Camp makes it sound that way to me.
Because of these points I find this couple interesting. Truth should be obvious with actions. When PR and leaks start claiming things that aren’t supported by actions it makes you wonder why.
So, I don’t dislike Amal. I just think the image cultivated has a few guarded secrets/lies being covered. And Clooney has had motives for years that included someone like Amal.
Though her style? That can be absolutely awful.
Maybe George has figured out that she’s not bringing to him what he hoped for and its time to dislodge her and his team is leaking these negative stories. These stories don’t happen by accident, especially to well connected, controlling George Clooney, who had every tabloid on lockdown of positive gushing Amal articles for months during engagement and wedding.
His movies are bombing, big failures. his marriage is being side eyed and thought of as fake or some pr move, by a lot of the public. She hasn’t exactly brought warmth to his side, in fact she brings the exact opposite. Many see her as smug and cold.
And being a lawyer does not make her immune to being a goldigger, climbing, famewh…… . IMO She is a contract, a clever lady who negatiated a bigger deal than the previous contracts by getting a marriage license and becoming Amal Clooney.
I give this farce another year ,before quiet separation and rumors of Amal living in Berkshire mansion when divorce is announced.
Bellejar
But those PR goto publications George used for the courting and wedding are still running the positive version of things. If She was to be dislodged it would come from those in a more passive aggressive way. Not these known rags.
And i’m guessing these stories are educated guesses. George has been pushing too hard to promote this relationship from the start in the press. You don’t push that hard and keep pushing unless something else was up. Smoke/fire in a way. By keeping these smoke stories going and Clooney responding in counter to nearly all of them there’s bound to be a slip up.
I still think this marriage is real enough, but maybe not lasting. They didn’t date for long and it was a whirlwind romance. On top of George giving her anything and entrance to a world she appears to enjoy. The real world of relationships hasn’t yet sunk in imo.
And correct. She’s a smart lawyer, but she’s not amazing. In her field there are far better and far worse. And having your own career pre marriage does not mean you can’t be a gold digger of sorts.. It’s a flat defense.
Thank you! Also, Amal Clooney is an AMAZING lawyer! She IS one of the ACTUAL “important people” in the world!!!!
Important people DO NOT play pretend with other people, and if your job can be done (and done well) by children, than it really isn’t that hard.
I agree with others that the constant denigration of Amal Clooney is disheartening, particularly as most of the comments about her seem to be made by women. However, I also agree with those commenters who suggested that she or the Clooney camp are partially responsible because they seem to be in full PR mode all the time. And, while I agree she is very well educated, which is refreshing where Clooney is concerned, she is certainly not the only intelligent woman married to a major movie star. Colin Firth’s wife seems like a lovely person who somehow manages to live her life privately, with photos only on red carpets.
As a fellow attorney, I would like to suggest that rather than calling her a human rights attorney, the more proper title would be an attorney specializing in international law. She has represented the King of Bahrain. His human rights record is reprehensible. As a public defender for many years, I find it a bit irritating when the media promotes her as God’s gift to mankind and the practice of law. As someone else pointed out however, Amal is not the one promoting herself as such.
Me Three, your post has me slightly baffled. You know that all lawyers who work in the type of law Amal does are all referred to as human rights lawyers (which is a type of law not just in reference to defenders of the good guys)? This is not some PR campaign of Clooney. Yes, (like every other lawyer in her field) she works in various types of international law but she also works in human rights law as well as extraditions. These types of lawyers dealing with these types of law are all called human rights lawyers.
As a public defender you of all people should know about being appointed clients from courts. Does representing guilty people make you any less of a lawyer or a moral person? Do you agree with the morality of a person accused in say a child rape case you have been given? Her relationship with the King of Bahrain was an appointment by the UN, she did not say ‘hey king, I think you’re innocent and think you’re a stand up guy, let me give you advice.’ And advice on what the commission was doing and what his rights are as a person was what the UN asked her to do.
@Maya: SLAM THAT GAVEL, lady! I agree with you wholeheartedly – I remember when we and the media were praising Amal for being an accomplished woman who had her own career and life before and while with George. Now, we must find a way to tear her down and see her as a gold-digger, simply because she’s married George Clooney.
I love dishing over celebrity gossip, but sometimes a line is crossed and it’s too snippy and negative, even for me.
George is in the business for a long time without any big scandals. that means he is clever enough to protect himself. i doubt he would be tricked into anything by amal.
George has been in the business for a long time with even so much as a negative Tabloid story until now…..which is why I think George and George’s team are trying to slowly unload Amal and she will be made into goldigging , roadkill before all is said and done with the end of this marriage.
These tabloid stories on her are not by accident but by design…….IMO George’s design.
I give it a year.
Who knows what the real story is, but, uh, she is a lawyer by profession. In her case, if the story is true, it strikes me as logical that she wouldn’t sign a pre-nup… she has the training and experience to know how those things work out for people…
Most lawyers I know, and I know a lot including a few judges and they have no problems signing pre-nups. A fair pre-nup can make a complicated divorce easier.
As @noway says, pre-nups aren’t necessarily unfair for the wife in the relationship. In fact, Amal would have been smarter to have a prenup as long as she agreed with the main points in the contract. As @noway says, a pre-nup makes a divorce between very famous people much easier and less volatile.
True, but I figure a lawyer might see something in the pre-nup they don’t like verbally and nix it if it’s not done to their liking. I wasn’t necessarily trying to imply that lawyers as a whole dislike pre-nups, but that in her case she would be able to look over it herself and decide from there if the document needed revisions that suited her better or no pre-nup at all (which this story seems to be claiming). I just think that as a lawyer she would know more of what’s going on in the document than a non-lawyer or Star magazine. I guess I don’t understand why Star magazine feels she should definitely have signed one — they’re not married to George Clooney and have to deal with him on a daily basis or in a potential divorce.
@perplexed she specializes in international law, and my take with most lawyers is that they really don’t like to go out of their comfort zone in law even for themselves. I am sure she hired a lawyer who specializes in domestic cases to look over a prenup, and it really is silly to assume that they didn’t have one. I just don’t think that two wealthy intelligent people of their age wouldn’t have one. Especially, when one has been divorced already. You might make that mistake once, but once you have fought over mattresses and pet pigs you won’t do it again. She is a lawyer, and she understands the importance too.
@noway
Well, as a lawyer she certainly has the connections to ask the right people to help her out.
I just think this whole story of her automatically being a gold-digger because she didn’t want to sign a pre-nup is dumb. The criticism of her that she seeks out high profile cases sounded stupid in this story too. I don’t have a strong opinion on her either way, but the gossip has been framed in a way that makes it hard for me to think badly of her in this instance but does make me think badly of whoever constructed the story.
These stories are always 100% fake. Always. AMAL was well off and happy enough before and she never looks to be jumping for joy at media attn just walking the streets of NYC or at the oscars. They said the same about FKA twigs and you can see how much she’s enjoying the experience of Twihards lol. Oh the joy – not.
If she is as emotionally disengaged as she appears to be that would make it easy land someone like George who was desperate to a) go into politics b) become an internationally lauded humanitarian, c) change his image when he realised he’d become a laughing stock – (delete as appropriate). I think most of the story is bullcr*p but I do agree that with all the aces in her hand she would have played them like the professional Lawyer she is and refused to sign a pre-nup. I wonder now if George realises he’s made a ginormous mistake and that the PR machine to promote her is in fact designed to convince himself/his family that everything is going exactly as he planned when really, he’s stuck in a loveless marriage of convenience with a women who is not doing as she is told/expected and is merrily spending all his cash.
Wow. The anti-Amal campaign is in full swing. Yesterday they tried to get the Brangeloons to mobilize against her and today they’re coming at her from another angle. Hmmm. Should I start hating Amal just because the media tells me to? How about this: Go F**K yourselves! 🙂
Why are you assuming that every person that makes a negative comment about Amal is a “brangeloonie” seriously you need to stop. Most AB fans only comment when Angie is being used in a story that has nothing to do with her.
Amal is not a celebrity. She is being treated like one and that is unfortunate for her. Being such is going to always sway negatively. That is what happens to celebrities. But again she is not a celebrity.
Why are you assuming that I’m assuming that every person who makes a negative comment about Amal is a Brangeloonie? I said the media tried to mobilize the Brangeloons. I didn’t say the media were the Brangeloons.
really u call people who disagree with you a brangeloonie? that is the argument. ? pple just dont see why brad and aj need to be involved in this story at all – they are their own people why drag them into george clooney’s life? but it seems that gc is the one who keeps talking abt brad as well
That’s funny, back when they were getting married I remember many stories about them haggling over the details of the prenup. Tabloids have a short memory I guess.
All lies! This is obviously a marriage of the equals! All his friends raved about her, yada, yada, yada…
Stop it already, tabloids. No one is obligated to sign a pre-nup. If it wasn’t okay with Georgie Porgie, he wouldn’t have proceeded with the cockatoo wedding.
I forgot about the cockatoos!
I like her. I hope their 1-year anniversary gift to us is a gondola vow renewal.
I like her better than George.
#stillharboringtomwaitsdissanimosity
Oh that’s right! I almost blocked the 50 Shades of Awkward with Letterman and Waits.
I’m not totally convinced Amal loves media attention. She seems to have mastered the pap stroll but that could be due to having a top PR coach and that she’s a fast learner. I am however totally convinced her sister loves media attention.
Some people find media attention very validating.
I agree. But what are the clues that reveal if she’s a narcissist or just good at following directions on how to smile and pose.
She seemed utterly uncomfortable at the awards ceremony. If she was a narcissist, you would expect more preening.
Kiddo
Where has she appeared uncomfortable?
She appeared as comfortable as any seated environment with a speaker.
Amal appears like her sister. They are both very comfortable with the cameras and dressing up. And very image aware. And I think they appear to enjoy it. Anything else is simply getting use to the environment, but not feeling uncomfortable with it. Just a time to adapt.
I have been surprised at how many pap walks and premieres her relatives have attended.
Clooney is rich, but he’s never been in the same league as Denzel Washington, who still commands $ 20+ million fees, like Cruise – or Keanu, who apparently earned more than $ 300 million for Matrix I-III.
So I doubt the net worth they come up with for him, and I don’t believe he could afford Ms Clooney to spend a monthly amount of $ X million on clothes alone without his assets dwindling rapidly
George Clooney is a producer, director and has also gotten screenwriter credits…
And unless you’re one of the financial backers it’s unlikely any of those titles will get you as much as a mega-star with high upfront and gross points on a big film.
I’d say Clooney’s biggest payday was the initial Ocean’s flick.
Oh please, she’s not spending $1m a week, month or year on clothes. All of her clothes, shoes, et al are now all freebies and that started the day after she was first papped on a date with Clooney.
Didnt George say that himself, in a recent interview that she gets alot of clothes for free.
the thing is that no matter how rich clooney may be none of his films have been hits esp recently which definitely affects the bottom line – anyone spending that much per month is bound to affect him. no matter what. tomorrowland is a dud and none of the next films he has i dont think he will get paid 20 milion for tbh
Lol at the exclusive royal pictures does anyone actually believe they’re real. And I doubt George would have gotten married if she didn’t sign the prenup.
Clooney is no fool! I would bet the farm, that there is indeed a prenup! And, so what, if Amal is loving George’s lifestyle and money…who wouldn’t?
All in all, no matter how much of this is true (and I am sure some of it is) I think Amal is a good match for Clooney.
I don’t care if she signed one or not but like someone said most of that is given to her as she is photographed a lot so why not get free press. I guess he is doing the press junket so in the papers more than usual. I still like him and like him more now that he has learned how to not bob his head side to side when he use to talk on ER. Funny how some of them get hounded and others don’t (ie Matt Damon)
I think Matt Damon doesn’t get “hounded” because he chooses to live his personal life quietly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen his wife photographed except during red carpet events. Same for Colin Firth and his wife. They seem to have wonderful relationships with their spouses but don’t have the need to tell the world over and over.
GC has actually encouraged the paps by the choices he made both before Amal and now with her. Rather than living quietly and going about their business, he talks incessantly about their relationship and seems to purposely go to places where he knows they will be photographed. They could have had a private wedding but chose instead to hold a week long PR festival.
I can’t imagine living Amal’s life frankly. I think it would be horrible to be followed everywhere and have your clothing choices dissected on a daily basis. And, if she truly intends to continue working, I don’t know how she’ll manage with all the publicity and the constant red carpet events. I feel sorry for the woman. But as someone will surely point out, she had to of known her life would become a PR circus so I guess she’s made her own bed!
I still keep imagining the $15 million mansion filled with ceramic cockatoos…
LOL! Right. I was a bit taken aback by how tacky the decorations were for that wedding party.
George isn’t very bright, but bright enough to have a prenup. This whole show looks like a very bad script that no studio would buy because it’s too obvious. And I definitely believe his friends are worried. Whatever George was hoping for, he won’t get it. This charade is draining him visibly, not just financially. The first taste we’ve got was when she didn’t show up for his promotional tour for Tomorrowland in London, Spain, and China. She picked the more attractive Tokyo, and brought her half-brother, and his wife. Of course she played the little girl game to make and keep him coming back…I’m just surprised it still does work with some men. She wasn’t ‘hesitant’- this is what she wanted in the first place. Getting married to real big money, and becoming a star in her own right. Baria must be proud. But none of this would get me interested enough, just the fact that they sell her to the public as this super lawyer role model makes me angry.
“he wasn’t ‘hesitant’- this is what she wanted in the first place. Getting married to real big money, and becoming a star in her own right.” You must know her really well. What did she have for breakfast today? Also, you seem like a very happy person with exciting things waiting for you in your future (if you stop hating on women, for starters)
I think maybe you’re taking this a little too seriously Siri! Don’t be angry…not worth it and, I guess I just don’t get why people care one way or the other whether or not this relationship is real. I just find the “show” interesting but otherwise, I must say, George makes me sad. Between those emails that were leaked to the public showing how concerned he is about his public persona, to the show he put on for their wedding, I think maybe his PR people need to step in and stop the incessant publicity surrounding their relationship. It’s ironic that a man who is supposedly so adverse to publicity seems to be reveling in it now. I don’t think Amal is the problem. The only thing G hasn’t done yet is jump on a couch!
The thing is, they are selling brand Clooney, and basically USE a woman to do so. And she doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. It’s her life, her choice, just I won’t celebrate her for it.
+1.
He hasn’t, in the past, done all this pr for films he wasn’t directing or producing. The sudden change probably has two reasons..actors can add a waiver to their contract that pays them for every promotion and premier..and he’s now scrambling to fill the till..and of course to sell his wife. Not sure if either worked..honestly I find Cruise’s couch antics more genuine.
I bet my bowl of oatmeal that an “agreement” was signed, that she was personally involved in drafting, that benefitted both of them. Amal isn’t the usual “waitress or wrestler” that he’s been involved with in the past, and not someone that you shove a legal document in front of and have her sign on the dotted line without reading it. They’re both benefitting in their own ways from this agreement. That said, I think his Dad said to him “George, it’s time that you settle down if you want to pursue X,Y,Z” (or whatever his next step is – but it’s definitely not acting).
And as someone stated upthread – all of the items she’s been wearing, carrying, and sporting have been freebees from the designers. I doubt either of them paid for the majority of it. As far as real estate goes – that’s always a good investment for someone famous – who wouldn’t want to be able to afford a famous person’s recently listed real estate with a highly inflated price tag (except, of course, if they are a Kardashian).
Those two need to settle down their PR machine a bit – give them a summer vacation already. The Clooney family has worked them hard enough………..
If I’m not mistaken, George mentioned in one of his interviews that his wife buys most of her clothes, and the tabloids were wrong saying her clothes Ect were free bees.
I want to say, I’m not a fan of GC, I don’t dislike him either. IMO, George was embarrassed after Tina Fey and Amy Polar made fun of him at the Oscars saying he would rather floats away in space than to be with someone his own age. Well GC did find a wife but as TF and AP said he could not be with someone his own age.
George went looking for a wife right after he was made fun if, nationally and found AC. Their courtship was very short, in less than a year he was engaged and married. I believe GC spend too much time correcting what he believes to be slights than to live his life honestly and ignore the noise.
I remember reading the story about AC’s mother and father talking about kids. I also read GC saying recently that he has not thought about kids. I find that strange at 51 he has not discussed with his 37 yo wife weather they are going to have children. Another observation, GC appears to be in pain in a lot of his photos, at times he cannot stand up straight. For him to be in pain a lot of the time is not something a new young wife looks forward to, just saying. I believe this marriage was not well though out and that makes GC appears to be desperate. I don’t see the connection with their body language, IMO, they are just going through the motion of being happy. Don’t have to agree, just stating my opinion.
Funny you mention this; he has always enjoyed steady & respected insider celeb-industry status in LA, then he got a directed dose of NYC humor on national television, in his own turf.
The clash of sensibilities struck me at the time, and I have a hunch you’re onto something there.
You make some valid points.
Why all this press that was initiated by Clooney? With the courting, engagement, marriage it was a big yawn. Yet we got a lot of insider leaks like we should be caring. This was promoted heavily. Why not simply be happy with your wife? Why must the world view her as you want and counter nearly every rumor that goes against that. It’s odd.
Exactly, countering ever rumour makes it seem like she is very delicate and very insecure. It truly is odd. It appears that she is asking George to do damage control by addressing all these issues. She is a worldly woman with an accomplished career, why is she this insecure? She appears to be way out of her depth in the world of showbiz. Probably a nice woman, however she seems very insecure and concerned with how she is perceived.
I also think it is George who is somewhat insecure. (Those whiny e-mails to Amy Pascal about Monuments Men is clue #1!). His image is very important to him and how he is perceived. The perfect woman, the perfect wedding, the perfect marriage. This is all George. He and his publicist must read tabloids and gossip sites. When there was a negative story about the cost of the wedding, a story appeared the next day in People saying it was not that expensive. (Me, I think the whole thing was underwritten by the Venice Chamber of Commerce, the hotels and the clothing designers as they got a whole bunch of free publicity). George wants everyone to think he is easy going and does not care, but I think it is the exact opposite. He cares a great deal.
He does not want the stories to go against his line of perfection. Personally, I don’t know whether it is all real or not as we only get what he tells us. He is selling her more than anything else. She is of course not an innocent bystander with the pap walks and family strolls. It is all a package that George wants us to see, which, in and of itself is fine. I don’t think she is the devil as tabloids want us to think, but tabloids sell bitchy women more than strong ones, so that is not that unusual. But I think it may be George doing most of the pushing of her family, with their full consent. I think it is a partnership the whole way. And if they are OK with it, not much else to say. But it must be exhausting.
Your theory is very plausible.
The awards show joke just highlighted gossip site commentary about two-year revolving door relationships. I recall this site had his MO down to a science and was predicting when the next GF would be debuted (right before awards season, which did not happen, but an engagement was suddenly announced at the end of awards season).
Why would she discuss kids and risk losing him? Just saying. Some times playing it safe gets you over the finish line.
I feel a bit sorry for Amal getting this type of tabloid treatment but a huge amount of it is generated by Clooney and his chronic need for his marriage to be seen as the marriage to end all marriages. The more he boasts about his new life, the more material he provides for tabloids with pages to fill.
I’m curious as to why Amal doesn’t tell his to shut his yap and stop encouraging this type of intrusive and demeaning speculation? It’s embarrassing for her on so many levels, not least, him running off to gossip cop every five minutes denying speculative crap that – hilariously! – he himself is responsible for in the first place.
Respectfully disagree, she’s not a victim in this.
I agree with you, siri. Amal is enjoying being “Mrs. George Clooney” simply for the perks it’s brought her and her family. She’s appears a little too happy to be papped daily in new oufits. I doubt she finds all the attention intrusive or demeaning. She’s loving it.
It’s just too bad all this PR is overshadowing her important work.. if she’s even working much anymore with all the travelling and hand-holding she does. It’s also too bad that this entire realtionship and the constant publicity surrounding it, makes George look like he’s trying too hard. Curious to discover his endgame.
@Siri – yes, you’re probably right. She certainly seems to be relishing all the perks this new elevated profile has given her.
Amen, siri!
People are admiring her as so accomplished and smart on the one hand, yet on the other hand, she is at George’s mercy and whim. Really? Some victim.
Didnt her mother say something like well I guess we are famous now, something like that, she seems to be behind it all if you ask me, theres definetly something behind the scenes going on and its not what George wants the public to think. But I definetly think she signed a airtight prenup including that house they bought in England, that is definetly hers whatever the outcome is.
@nicole: Amal’s mother does not own her PR company anymore. She had a company registered in London, Media Services Syndicate Ltd., Buckinghamshire. It’s dissolved. Later on (briefly before the engagement), she was one of two owners of Globell Communications, offering PR services to people in the entertainment business, and very prominent on their website. Not anymore. I also noticed a change in George’s PR, and even though I doubt he fired Stan Rosenfield, there’s a definite focus on Amal now…
Siri, if the focus is on her it backfired his movie bombed at BO because he was talking a lot abt her, people didn’t know what he was promoting he is the movie star he should sell the movie no the wife, I think the PR made a mistake by focus on her, as he said himself she doesn’t see as celebrity so why talk abt her all the time, he should say to media he is happy & now married man that will have been enough
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I can almost understand if Amal had been a celebrity when she married George, there might be some level of snark from the tabloids. Every celebrity gets level raked across the coals at some point in their career. Many other celebrities have spouses not in the industry or low key but they don’t get the level of attention of this woman. I don’t get it.
I think it’s because they don’t publicize their relationships in quite the same way. And, their spouses don’t seem to be interested in being photographed everyday.
The Star just proved my theory. Even when a woman is successful in her own right and rich in her own right, she will still be labeled a golddigger. I still think their marriage is a shame, but moreso as in Clooney needing he not the other way around.
How does one figure Amal is rich in her own right? She could work until she’s an old woman and never make a fraction of what Clooney has made. Some people are very unaware of the realities of being a lawyer or what a lawyer earns.
I think she even received financial aid for Oxford.
Wow – what a modern day Anne Boleyn tale. Nabbing the King by playing hard to get! This has to be the oldest story in the book! Anne Boleyn managed to uproot the monarch and church in her time by playing the same game, so I can well believe that George has fallen hard for the same trick.
There is certainly something in this story. Amal pre-George was middle class well off. She is still only a junior Barrister with five years call and quite a few of her clients are on legal aid. My guess is that at the most she is earning £500k Per year, and if she is, the. most of that is taxed at the Uk’s 50% tax rate over £150k. That is at the most, and given she seems to be doing a part time job at the moment, that figure is likely to be substantially lower. As has been pointed out already, she is NOT a senior Barrister or a Queen’s Counsel, who typically lead the cases. They can earn substantially more, but unless they are involved in tax or corporate law their annual earnings do not reach £1m. The Sunday Times of London put her estimated net worth at £1m and George’s at £120m in March this year. That would include any property she has – and if you have any idea of London prices £1m gets you a two bed property in a good area.
Her parents too, while well off middle class, do not live in high end apartments or mansions. Amal was certainly not on the UK high end social scene or invited to top events. Pre- George she did not wear haute couture and was never enough of a public figure to be photographed in the papers/magazines etc.
Since her wedding she has enjoyed haute couture, private jets, red carpet events and I am sure she is making a considerable dent in George’s finances. Some of the dresses, such as those at the red carpet events might be freebies but the designers will expect her to fork out for the day wear, which is extremely expensive.
I can well believe that if George is a man that simply has to possess something that he desires but that appears off limits to him, he might back down over a pre-nup but I am hoping he had enough sense to listen to his advisors. Henry V111 did not listen to his!
If George doesn’t have a pre-nup he is in real danger if he makes London his home since it is now seen as the most favourable place for non working wives to get a divorce.
And I am getting a strong feeling that Amal wields the upper hand in this relationship. I think that George realises be made a mistake, but given the media publicity of the wedding and everything since he simply can’t get out of the relationship at the moment. So whatever Amal wants, she gets if she threatens divorce. That would explain the fortune spent on Couture, the inappropriate family appearances, and the arguments about kids. George, I feel, is trying desperately to save face but, given his Haggard appearance will at some point in the near future realise that divorce is the only way.
Anne Boleyn lasted 1000 days. I give Amal the same timeframe but at least she only needs to worry about divorce, not beheading!
I love this post. Thank you.
Jaci, sorry I disagree with a lot of your post. The problem is that so many people (especially Americans who think every country works like in the US) don’t actually understand her job or the top end social scene in London. In the US everything seems to be geared around star power and Hollywood (well probably not New York). It is not like this in Europe.
She is self employed so there’s no way in hell she pays 50%. If she paid 20% of her earnings I would advise her to get a better accountant. Legal aid cases? Sure, but (and a big but) she is not representing joe bloggs who is poor and unknown. She is representing internationally known people. Her legal aid cases cost frickin fortunes and it is well documented in the media how many millions it costs the British taxpayers for every case that comes to light. And it is also well documented that human rights lawyers have made tons and tons of money since the recession, so much so there is a call to end the money flow and even to scrap the human rights policy. She and other human rights lawyers have made obscene amounts of money in short spaces of time.
I wont go into the QC/junior barristers again because I have repeatedly explained this. If I walked you into a room of the top end social scene in London, you would probably struggle to know but a handful of people. Don’t be fooled into thinking she couldn’t have been on this particular scene beforehand.
@Sueperb
As someone who has graced the pages of Tatler I can assure you that I am familiar with the UK social scene. For your information Amal was not well known in society or celebrity circles before she met George Clooney. She was certainly not a ‘must have’ at society, celebrity or fashion events, not was she commanding fashion freebies before she became George’s intended. However, I will give you that she is a consummate networker par excellence which enabled an introduction to George.
With regard to her career, she is still only a Junior Barrister who has not yet led or won a case and her earnings will reflect that position. And, there is something odd about a 37 year old barrister with only 5 years call. That is not to diminish her intelligence in any way, but there is a story, as yet untold, to explain why she started again at the bottom of the greasy pole at the age of 32 with a low paid ( if paid at all) pupilage at the bar.
I know several Barristers, including my cousin, that range in seniority from Juniors to QCs, and also range in specialities from Divorce, Human Rights, Crime, Tax and corporate. All will say that the English Bar is one of the most competitive places on the planet, where only the most talented and most intelligent will even gain a foot on the ladder. There is a very high drop out rate and the stress levels at the bottom rungs are high and the income relatively poor. It is only after a long slog of at least 5 years, when they start to lead cases that they start seeing some sort of pay off.
My cousin, a Barrister who specialises in Tax, had not heard of Amal until she won the dubious distinction of topping the ‘hottest Barrister’ stakes. She was only known to a close circle of Human Rights Barristers, which would go along with her position. As she is part of a chamber she is unlikely to qualify under the ‘self employed’ scheme; it is more likely that the chambers is incorporated as a partnership and she will get paid according to her rank. The fees that come in from the clients will vary widely from legal aid cases to the Middle Eastern dictator, but because Amal is only one of a team, the fees will be spit several ways, with a large chunk going to overheads to the chambers to allow them to pursue ‘historic’ cases, where a win is not guaranteed.
Geoffrey Robertson QC and Head of Doughty Street Chambers has described Amal as ‘exceptional’, and I have no reason to disbelieve his words, but even his wife, the author Kathy Lette has publicly said, in answer to a question about Amal’s earnings, that Human Rights Barristers do not earn large sums because most of the fee goes to the Chambers.
So I respectfully stick to my comments above. And yes, Amal still reminds me of Anne Boleyn, a reminder that men can tire of brilliant women with sharp tongues and hot tempers even when they begin by putting everything in their kingdom at their disposal.
I suggest you speak to your numerous family members who are barristers to find out how barristers and chambers actually work because what you wrote is just wrong on almost every level.
And I can, assure you that there are a hell of a lot more people that attend top tier social events than the handful you will see in celeb sites.
@Jaci and @SuePerb
Perhaps the easiest way to cut through all the embellishments Clooney PR has been overly keen to use as a way to elevate Amal’s prior earned career status/stage and standing is this:
One of her most recent jobs secured (not by head-hunted appointment but through an open application system towards the end of 2014 – October) is an advisory position on the Attorney General (UK Government) Public International Law Panels. Her application to become a new member of such panels (at that point already comprising of around 400+ UK lawyers – solicitors and barristers NOT in Silk – in her specific field) was successful. However, not to undermine her achievement at gaining one of the increased vacancies being filled, Amal’s designation and status in the wider scheme is clear. She is a member of the “C” Panel.
The C Panel comprises of those deemed to be working (in terms of skills and experience) to Junior Junior level. B Panel designation is Middle Junior and A Panel is Senior Junior.
So, setting aside all the other misrepresentations allowed and promoted by Clooney PR over the last year in regard her truly earned career credentials compared to her real and acknowledge (within her field) credentials, this provides for an accurate indication of her current ‘capital’ and, as yet, earned regard and experience within her own specific field of law. This is not to say that she hasn’t got any solid credentials (she has) but they are just that, solid, not what many have been led to believe, perhaps by design, by the recent PR and increased profile she has due to marriage and her new surname.
Now, whatever the motivations for her somewhat misleading elevation, it’s neither a “negative” or bourne of “Hating” to point out the objective realities and then, as a consequence, question WHY has so much of the blurb put out about her been so misleading and seeming to serve presenting her as more than she currently is; and WHY has she allowed such misrepresentation to occur and gain ground in public (mis)understanding.
Also, it’s worth noting that of all the new jobs she’s been ‘announced’ to have gained since marriage, this one alone was quietly overlooked and was not given a PR push. Is it really a “negative” to speculate that this might be because it makes clear her real/still “Junior Junior” status which undermines much of the PR exaggerated message to date.
http://www.doughtystreet.co.uk/barristers/profile-pdf/amal-clooney/185 – page3
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/attorney-general-launches-new-international-law-advice-panels
Heathering
Thank You for this post. An intersting lay of information.
Nice analogy, Jaci. I think George’s ego made him pursue Amal after the very public joke by Tina and Amy. Amal, on the other hand, liked the rich, charming and funny George and the promise of her sharing in his lifestyle. I think he also like the idea of a “power couple” dynamic that Brad and Angelina have. It hasn’t really worked out that way IMO. His career is not that great right now, and her human rights work has only revealed her representing less than savoury clients. Also, his health seems in decline and she’s seems to be fading away weight-wise. Something is wrong in paradise. But is he having regrets? I don’t know but if he is, all this publicity around their relationship is going to backfire on him either way and fuel another round of very public negative/ mocking comments. And he won’t like that one bit.
Amal (AND her mother) DO call the shots by now. As you said, just look at the all the members of her family being flown and shown around. His own parents, although never the most visible in the first place, do not accompany him to premieres anymore. They used to, at least one of them. Basically, Amal and her family are the focus of Georges PR. That’s not coincidence. George made a huge mistake, and I’m sure he knows it.
The more I think about this, the more I can see similarities to the Henry VIII/Anne Boleyn tale. The King was known to be in a failing marriage, one that could not produce an heir. He had slept with pretty much all the court and could have any woman that he wanted – including Anne Boleyn’s sister Mary.
He dived in head over heals in love not for the prettiest girl – Anne Boleyn was seen as ‘striking’ rather than pretty or beautiful – but for the one that held out the longest and was also the cleverest and brightest of them all. Does this sound familiar?
Anne was clothed in fine silks and gold, inheriting her predecessor’s furs and Jewels, and bringing with her the latest fashion from France. She was a Tudor fashion icon; all the women in the English court followed her penchant for the fashionable silky French hoods.
Henry VIII ignored his advisors who saw through the facade. Those that disagreed were beheaded and replaced with members of the Boleyn family. Anne’s brother and father were rewarded with many gifts including Earldoms and Lordships (Georgie unfortunately does not have that power now…) and also mansions and vast estates…que present day £15m mansion for Amal in Sonning, and a £15m mansion for Amal’s parents in Beirut, a red carpet walk and worldwide publicity for Amal’s half brother and wife in Japan, and a walk on part in a $2500 dress for Amal’s niece at Tomorrowland in California. Not to mention the unknown ‘fashion expert’ sister Tala commanding paparrazzi and magazine space….
I can see this playing with modern day similarities to the original story. The brightest star of them all will lose all her cases… she will not bring George a much needed boost to his fame…and some of the dodgier Lebanese relatives will cause political ambitions to fail. All I can say is: hey George that would make a great story for a film!
I admire you for this perfectly laid out anology! History DOES repeat itself- or should we say, the human condition never really changes…George isn’t even aware of how good a story he’s producing this time;-)
Great post! I’ve also read that Anne cleverly invented (or made a popular style of) the dangling fingertip sleeve because she had been born with a sixth finger on one hand. She also made the thick jewled dog collar type of necklace a style to cover a large birthmark on her neck. Ie, Thought-out ploys to cover imperfections and still make herself eye-catching to a King and unique in his court. Girl worked it.
She was also said to be brilliant, well-read, with a terrible temper and very sharp tongue!
Fabulous post.
Jaci, I agree with everything you say, well done.
Jaci, I agree with everything you’ve said here, and I think George rushed to marriage without really knowing Amal, her family or what he was getting himself into…
The point I’d like to add here is that throughout his career, George lived rather modestly for an A-list movie star, staying all these years in the same LA home he first bought with his ER earnings. Despite his additional homes in Mexico and Lake Como, he’s been rather conservative, relative to other celebrities, with his money, and for a time, he probably wasn’t as wealthy as some of us might think.
From 2000 – 2005 or 2008, George reinvested much of his earnings into Section 8, his production company with Steven Soderbergh, which probably only broke even and nearly ruined their friendship (http://www.stevensoderbergh.net/articles/2005/nytimes.php). As I recall, he even remortgaged his home and risked losing it in the process for one film in particular, maybe it was Syriana? Interestingly, that’s also the film where he gained weight, seriously injured his neck/back and considered suicide…
So if George is indeed worth $180m, then I suppose that means he earned most of it in the last 7 – 10 years. That’s why, no matter whether Amal buys her own couture or not, I’ve been astounded by how much he’s probably spent in the last year on this “marriage”. It seems out of character for him (unless this is his version of “couch jumping”?)
Also, his previous divorce settlement seemed like it was nickle-and-dimed down to the last asset, like who gets the mattress (seriously?) Perhaps someone with knowledge of divorce law can explain how the division of assets usually goes without a prenup; is it in the state or country where the marriage license was obtained/legally occurred or where the divorce is filed?
With all that in mind, I find it very hard to believe that George would enter into any contractual relationship (let’s face it, that’s what they all are) without a prenup, especially given how smart his wife is – and that she’s an international lawyer who could really take him to the cleaners.
Whether or not their romance is real, with Tommorowland losing money and the public no longer buying all this Amalooney PR, all I can say is that George stands to lose everything.
You’ve omitted a very lucrative source of his income – adverts. Nespresso, Mercedes Benz, Omega, broadband services, whiskey, that’s off the top of my head, I’m sure there are more.
@Guesto- and Budweiser, unless it has a parent company in one of the other companies you have listed.
Kirin beer& Honda in Japan- VERY lucrative. Lancelot Scotch in South Korea.
Mmm, that’s true. And much of it was probably earned in the last 10 yrs or so as he’s become more famous or learned that these commercials are the way to fund his projects.
(Let’s also not forget…Casamigos tequila! How could we forget…)
My point was not so much about his earnings, though, but more that he’s always seemed rather conservative with his money because at certain points in his life and career he almost lost it all. And I thought I remembered him expressing this repeatedly in interviews.
@laura in LA: It’s true, George always seemed to be on the “save for later”, rather conservative side of spending, although known as very generous. But I wonder…if you have new girlfriends every 2 years or so, and then kind of pay them off after the contract finishes…that’s a lot of spending. And since the Poehler/Fey joke we know it wasn’t very meaningful;-) So perhaps he figured, a wife would be cheaper in the long run;-) Of course only with a prenup.
Funny – me too thought immediately of Anne Boleyn after reading the article!
Oops, this was meant as a response to Jaci.
@Liberty: According to serious historians the “sixth finger of Anne Boleyn” is nonsense. A lie made up and spread by her enemies.
Jaci, couldnt agree with you more.
Ugh. People – pre-nups go both ways. They protect both parties involved. And she’s a barrister, so I imagine she’d insist on one for herself, too. The one-sided dialogue of “Clooney wanted/insisted on it” is so sexist.
I didn’t get a pre-nup because we both didn’t have a lot of money when we married. Fast-forward and my mom passes away at a very young age from a brain disease and I inheirit a couple hundred thousand. Not Clooney money, but respectable. Now I’m getting a divorce and guess who wants his piece of the pie?
My point is – circumstances change. Investments can fail. A movie you produce can bomb. His tequila company could do poorly. Even though she might not have had millions when they married, she likely had retirement accounts, possibly owned a house/condo, that sort of thing. As a smart woman, she may have insisted on a pre-nup to protect *herself*
Dena very sorry to hear of your mother’s passing. Depending on what state you live in, the inheritance is your separate property unless it was also provided to him. If you can show that it was kept separate or your accounts never dipped below said amount inherited, you should be okay to leave the marriage with the full amount (again, this is very dependent on what state you live in).
@Dena — I am sorry for your loss. Regarding your own situation — Don’t know if you are in the US or (if so) what state, but your inheritance might be protected (off limits) if the funds were not co-mingled. My understanding is that if you retain the money separately and don’t spend it during the marriage (as in, purchase a home with the funds), it can be treated as yours because it was inherited by YOU, through YOUR relative.
I feel for you, because if your mother had been an equal amount in debt, your spouse would want no part of it, right? Hope it works out in your favor, as it should.
Inheritance can be protected as your separate property in the case of a divorce. I hope you didn’t put his name on the account and he was having ongoing use of the funds by withdrawals or check-writing privileges.
Y’all are so sweet, thanks. Losing my Mom when she was 58 was definitely the hardest thing I’ve gone through. She was a schoolteacher, so not rich, she just didn’t expect to die so young and had saved up for her retirement. That’s why there was so much left.
@lem You’re right, in my state (MN) it is my separate property. And in this state any assets purchased with the property are also mine. We bought our house with it. But my ex is making me prove it in a court of law – to be clear, he knows it’s not his, he knows the circumstances and even refers to it as “your Mom’s money”…but as he put it “I have to try to get some, right?”
@Christin, Oh, my, yes, he wouldn’t have wanted any of the debt. He’s even trying to get me to take some of his school loans!
@Jayna, I was stupid enough to deposit it into a joint account, but surprisingly that’s not enough to give him claim to it. (he knew this would make it harder for me to prove and keep, I didn’t).
To get back to the point with Amal/George and not thread hijack ;-p, there are good reasons on both sides to want a pre-nup even if you’re not the one with the most assets when you marry.
Dena made a great point about how circumstances can change over time.
Dena, back to your own situation, your bank or CU should be able to provide statements, etc., for at least the past 7 years (if you don’t have them already). I would absolutely challenge him on it. He got the benefit of living in a home purchased by those funds, and that should be it. His pursuit of your inheritance shows a lot about his character, IMO.
Got a pre-nup and a big believer most couples should have them. Just to say what is mine is mine, yours is yours. What we gather and make as a couple because of the benefit of the other should be shared. I’m skipping a lot of fine detail. And what shouldn’t be in a prenup is a cheating way out claiming you’re allowed to go outside your marriage with the other party not able and not ok with that.
I’m happily married and don’t intend on needing the prenup, but it will make an already hard time easier. That people are so against them shows a line of distrust imo both ways.
+1 Prenups = good communication and good planning. Plus while they are not a substitute for a will, in the absence of one, the prenup can help preserve family memories and ensure that things with sentimental value go to the people you want to have them.
For example, had I died during the first few year of marriage, we did not have a will and DH would have not known that I really want my niece Elizabeth to inherit my small gold locket because of the memories she and I share about it. Her mom gave it to me for my own 16th birthday. And when Lizzie was little she would come over on snowy Saturdays to bake cupcakes with me. While the cupcakes were in the oven she always wanted to look through my jewelry and she loved that the little locket would open and there was a place for a tiny photo.
Agree that prenups are very important, especially for couples that are older and have kids from previous relationships. I was married in the late 80s, and don’t have one, at the time, I was better off than my husband, but now he greatly out earns me. I know it used to be thought of as “unromantic” (remember the Nanny?), but I think they’re a protection for both sides. Even if you’re young and just starting out, I think they’re a good idea.
Jane/MinnFinn
If anything I think they’re more romantic. You remove financial motives. It becomes all about love 🙂
I’m a fan of them. And our lawyers were so in awe of us initiating and following through with a prenup.
There are voidable reasons and it only works when you’re BOTH honest before and during the marriage, but i’m a fan of them.
Jessica Alba is worth almost 70 million more than George Clooney?
delete
Wow, you’re kind of an asshole. George said himself last week that Amal turns down all the crap designers send her for red carpet events and buys HER OWN clothes. She doesn’t need his money and for you to even suggest she does really says so much more about your own shortcomings and jealousy than it does about her. If she were a golddigger, she wouldn’t bother having a career. If I were Amal, I would frame all of these stupid tabloid covers and laugh at them as I walk by. And I also would never sign a pre-nup, so good for her.
Sorry, but there is no way Amal earns enough for her designer clothes. I’d be surprised if she was making even the UK equivalent of $200k per year. Maybe a little more if she has proved to be a rainmaker. She isn’t the lead lawyer on any of her cases that I’ve seen that would be paying big bucks so that means her share of the earnings is down the line. She had to start pretty much all over when she joined chambers not that long ago. Hell, even if she had stayed at Sullivan & Cromwell and made partner (unless she was an equity partner) she’d still probably be under a million.
I don’t care what her husband says. He never said she buys her OWN clothes using her OWN money she makes from her OWN job.
Some people are too gullible. Reality is not jealousy. It’s just reality.
Exactly. And there are more than a few lawyers posting here that actually know what lawyers can earn and what is required in terms of work when you maintain a full practice. Let’s deal with facts and not with someone’s PR.
Quite simply: Amal does not earn enough money to buy these clothes herself. Everybody knows that…don’t they? Why would she? Most people don’t. Are we supposed to pretend she does?
Everytime I see Amal she reminds me of Ann Hathaway. Maybe they are related.
Ultimately, the minute it became apparent Amal’s prior history and career was either, in part, actively disappeared and, then in greater part, the remaining revisioned and extremely enhanced to become the Clooney presented ‘source’ for PR use and public consumption, the authenticity of it ALL, thereafter, became suspect for me.
If the rolling-out of Amal as Clooney’s new ‘love’, ‘the One’ required so much creative editing and presentation in order to underpin the ‘image’ to then be ‘sold’, put me immediately on my guard and far less likely to buy.
That her actions and the way she has since presented weight far more towards an apparent desire for celebrity, as opposed to simply going about continuing her career (out of the spotlight, which was perfectly possible had she wanted), confirms me in my disinclination to buy.
Add: her rush to allow her professional life to be actively associated and advanced with her newly designated “Mrs Clooney” ‘celebrity’; her, at best, inconsistent (at worst, seemingly poor) performances in her work sphere since – all of which have potentially wider consequences for others; the increasing focus being accorded to many of her family members – by which they now seem to capitalise upon their “Clooney” name association; and the increasingly determined and desperate attempts to place, by PR, Clooney and she as “powerful” by continual remessaging every time a new narrative fails to convince the public…
Well, ultimately, the goods being sold weren’t as presented from the start, and no amount of repair attempts will convince me to buy.
So, whilst I don’t disagree with those taking the “typical of the press to try and tear down a credible and successful woman” line in general, I hesitate greatly to wholeheartedly believe that to be the case here. That argument needs an unquestioning presupposition that Amal had all the authentic credentials to begin with, and has continued to exhibit follow through with such authenticity. Whilst she may have some aspects past and present, too much hasn’t quite added up.
If there’s a negative response, is it really an unfair “negative” if it is questioning of a (at least in part) myth or over-embellishment initiated by the main actors and agents in the piece at the out-set and continued, throughout, since?
+1..I’m repeating myself, but I can’t think of anyone outside show biz who has been so ‘re-invented’ (from surgery, fashion 180, name change, info fed to media and paps) to become a Celebrity..I consider Celebrity to be her full time job. No one on earth knew who she was, and now this site runs her pic constantly. Golddigger? I imagine some who defend her referred to his exes with that term–despite the fact they were well-educated, had jobs, owned property and got nothing from him in the end. The HUGE difference is he never felt he had to sell or justify those relationships..that’s all he does now.
I never get why people call her a gold digger. She’s a nice enough looking woman, but not gorgeous, but can be striking, and certainly wasn’t crazy stylish before him. She was a lawyer. She wasn’t living some glamorous lifestyle. She worked. She was closing in on 37 and single and according to her friend didn’t think she was going to find love.
George was a very desirable man. He’s aged somewhat this year. But he has always been considered handsome, charming, witty, self-deprecating humor, intelligent (not brilliant), and successful and well-traveled and runs in a lot of circles. An interesting man. He was a catch for her and why wouldn’t she fall in love with him? He can pour on the charm. She might have dated a bunch of duds before him and/or been dumped by a few and was swept off her feet by him. He obviously thinks he got a catch and has done overkill to prove it. I do think he fell hard for her but has made the mistake of pushing that too hard on the public. She is very educated and has had a career for years and if she liked successful men, I don’t get that as gold digging. Many women are drawn to men that are successful. There’s a confidence that goes along with that and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Matt Damon’s wife was called a gold digger. I never got that. He’s rich. She wasn’t. she was attractive, not beautiful. Matt was at the peak of his career and looks. Who wouldn’t have fallen madly in love with that smile and been flattered a movie star that handsome liked them, an average woman supporting her child? But all you ever read was she was a gold digger. I would have called her an idiot not to have fallen for him.
So tiresome. Just because Amal is a little too caught up in being papped and showing off her designer wear still doesn’t mean she didn’t fall head over heels for George. The two don’t have to be mutually-exclusive. A ton of 37-year-old women would fall in love with George.
I forgot to add. Of course, they have a pre-nup. But I do think George is so in love and committed that the pre-nup only covers everything he has acquired up to the marriage. I really do believe he has no pre-nup on during the marriage. I almost bet that he has left it open for during the marriage that it is marital assets together as far as what he makes, not like so much a year she gets if they divorce like most stars, like Flay and that actress. I think he went into this thing committed and no pre-nup in place for earnings after the date of the marriage. I bet her name, along with his, is also on the title of the new home in England. But his fortune from before is protected.
Excellent summing up of the situation.
I doubt that a lot of 37-year-olds would fall in love with George. He has always objectified women, so why would a self-secure woman do that to herself?
An attorney in LA in a position to know said Amal demanded a $20 million signing bonus, as a replacement for the income she would lose by being available to him. So they were at least negotiating a prenup.
Also, her parents have been separated for at least 20 years. They don’t even live in the same country. She may be of that mind too. Separate if unhappy, but never divorce. That’s why you get the money up front. Just sayin,.
I married into a Lebanese family, and several more wealthy family members have similar marriages. The couple is officially together, but they don’t live in the same house or country, but for a few months out of the year. Very odd set up, but I did wonder if this was normal to Amal and that she would be fine with it, until George brought up the we can only spend a week away from each other.
Live by the sword, die by the sword, I say.
George: If you’re gonna suddenly emerge from your respectful (and respected) silence about your private life to start a bizarrely manic, never-ending couch-jumping routine, then there’s gonna be the inevitable blow-back in the form of questions about your judgment, if not your very sanity.
Amal: If you’re gonna emerge from what perhaps was a respectable/accomplished career as a private citizen (and I say “perhaps” since your whole history seems to be whitewashed if not completely inaccessible) to become the newly-minted Queen of the World and to very obviously revel in that status, then there’s gonna be the inevitable blow-back in the form of questions about your motives.
George got a wife “on his level” and Amal got unlimited access to everyone and everything courtesy of her marriage (plus a cool $20 mil if Carol Mary is correct). Ain’t no victims here, as far as I can tell — just a couple of egomaniacs who made their (undoubtedly separate) beds and will eventually have to sleep in them.
I think that the only “tell” which legitimately indicates this marriage and relationship is a farce, is that none of George’s “Besties” were at the wedding. Even if you don’t really love the girl, you still show up and support your buddy with his bad decision. Julia, Brad, any of the Ocean’s crew- none of them were there, but Cindy Crawford and her Hubby made it. Its just odd, like a boycott to show him they think he’s making a mistake.
Those aren’t his besties. His besties are quite a few actors he started out with that never became famous and some may have gotten out of acting.. He has always said this group of men are his closest and most loyal friends and they all go back to when they were in their 20s. They were at his wedding. They just aren’t famous.
Julia Roberts is a besty when they run into each other, not hanging out friends. When have you ever seen them out hanging together, couples having dinner with any of his girlfriends? Even if he invited her, when you have a wedding far away and someone has a career and kids, many don’t just pop over for a wedding in another country.
Randy Gerber is one of his oldest friends, just doesn’t go as far back as the group of guys he used to act with. Who knows with Brad and Angie. They have a lot on their plate in life.
His “besties” were there, including Matt Damon and his wife. One of my old friends from the 80s (someone I used to party with and ran in the same crowd) was there. He said the wedding was gorgeous and he found Amal to be very sweet and charming. Those were his words.
I also noticed his neice and nephew werent there, that seemed very strange to me.
This hate on Amal and Clooney business is getting really old. I get that this is a gossip site – but there is no new gossip here and it is all redundant and borderline obnoxious. Anyone who is a celebrity is thirsty. ALL of them, including saint Jolie. If they weren’t, they would be doing small time theater, not mega films. So this business of pretending like some celebrities are thirsty while others are not is just plain ridiculous given their career choice. My point? Can we have some fresh stories instead of recycling the same old bs? And can we not pretend like some celebrities are celebrities without wanting to be so?
> And can we not pretend like some celebrities are celebrities without wanting to be so?
That needs to be said – anyone who is very famous and successful didn’t get there simply by chance. Being humble for appearances only is OK, since this is currently considered “polite” but let’s be honest no celebrity is humble.
Hey, even I am not humble and I am a nobody. But even in my small world if I didn’t fight for recognition , I’d be much poorer and much less happy. Money and recognition are nice things, and everyone wants them, so you have to fight for it.
Amal’s family is rich. Not arab oil money rich but still pretty darn wealthy (I think they owned or still own part of an airline) in fact, that’s why Amal’s gold digger mom married Amal’s older father which was kind of scandalous at the time. So I’m pretty sure Amal didn’t marry George for $, although it certainly doesn’t hurt. This is a woman who was raised with a lot of privledge, expensive houses and clothes are just what she expects, because it’s how she lived pre-George as well.
If Amal’s parents are so rich then why is George buying them a mansion?
My two cents on these two, is that they are both a bit insecure and like the cachet that comes with being considered ‘substantive’ people, but also want to enjoy the ‘Hollywood’ lifestyle when it suits them. So much so, that they keep ping-ponging between who they really are and how they want to be perceived, and that’s left the general public feeling as though they’re both trying to sell their relationship and being dishonest. Although George Clooney has done well for himself in Hollywood, he isn’t a particularly gifted actor or director. He knows this. I think he decided a while ago, that if he couldn’t be the next Marlon Brando, that he would forgo the ‘superficiality’ of Hollywood and dedicate himself to pursuits that ‘really matter’, like politics, social justice, etc. Which is why I think he goes on about the importance of good journalism, keeping up with current events, what a forthright person he is, and all the rest. I think he wants be seen as a person of substance with an admirable value system. If I had to bet on it, I’d also say that he is someone who equates being well-educated and well-spoken, with being intelligent. I think he sees that as something to be admired, since he didn’t graduate from college. I’m sure he was very impressed with Amal Clooney, a British lawyer (insert air of culture and sophistication) who’s bi-lingual (is she tri-lingual? I’ve heard conflicting reports.) Why wouldn’t he be? She has the background he’s deemed ‘worthwhile’. For her part, I think she is at times enjoying the attention, while being a little uncomfortable with it, too. Yes, she is an accomplished lawyer, but that doesn’t mean that she’s not struggling with her own issues. I find it off-putting and dishonest to keep perpetuating the ‘she’s above being concerned about her looks and prefers to dedicate her time to more important issues’, narrative, because of her profession and accomplishments. If that is the case, then why did she have a nose job, lose weight before her wedding, up her ‘style game’, and have Oscar de la Renta design her wedding gown? I’m guessing that because inside the lawyer, is still the tall, gangly kid with the big nose and the mass of frizzy hair who still doesn’t quite believe that she’s pretty. What bothers me about them, is that their actions don’t align with their words. If George Clooney thinks he can make a meaningful impact on the world, then why doesn’t he? If his background won’t pass muster in politics, then why not become an advocate or a volunteer, or form his own foundation and give his money to those in need? If Amal Clooney doesn’t like people asking who ‘designed’ her judicial robes during a trial, then don’t do wedding spread in Vogue, make sure you get a blowout before that next paparazzi photo, etc. My guess is that both of them like what the other has to offer, and that’s fine. What I dislike, is that they both seem to want sell the relationship fairy tale (we’re two successful, altruistic, politically-minded people who finally ‘found’ each other and are dedicated to making the world a better place). Why not be candid enough to admit that she found him to funny and charming and was flattered by his attentions? Why doesn’t he say he was impressed with her level of education, that he finds the fact that she speaks foreign languages impressive, that after avoiding commitment for 20 years, because he was afraid of another marriage failing, that he found he had become the butt of jokes, was indeed the ‘loneliest man at the party’, and decided that wasn’t what he wanted anymore? Instead, George Clooney allows the ‘she’s on his level’ and ‘the one’, nonsense, follows it up with wedding-palooza (after maintaining that his private life should indeed ‘remain private’ for years.) and then spends interview after interview playing up his ‘newlywed’ status to promote his mediocre movie. Really? So he’s essentially said that none of his less educated, less ‘lofty’ girlfriends, were good enough to commit to, and that it’s okay for him to exploit his private life, if it furthers his public image or helps promote his movie and then wonders why he gets a backlash.
@CMC – excellent ‘two cents’! I think you’re spot on in every regard, most particularly the insecurity at the heart of Clooneyland. His need to be seen as more than he is has always been his downfall.
So true. And it would have been the best PR ever to be honest for a change, since he could have built on some strong sympathy points from quite a few members of the public. But essentially, his insecurities and his strong desire to hold up his image prevented that.
+1 – it wouldn’t be a bad way to lay ground for an escape route on a deal gone sour and failing to meet it’s objectives if stories like this took hold.
George would look a bit foolish but he’d tried to love and it would be a shame if the object of his lavish love was just seen as a taker and not what he’d thought her to be at I Do.
The public doing “poor George” might be preferable to the “ST*U George, go away” that’s going on now.
Good points. One of the reasons I have always been neutral about him is because there is some type of mismatch that consistently shows up. There are things about his background I like, but then he always manages to erase part of that with other things he says or does that seem rather immature or egotistical.
Great write-up. I agree with you. Apparently Amal is trilingual; she’s fluent also in French and Arabic.
Anyone else wondering if this type of story sourced from “friends” is George beginning to dig an escape tunnel out the back of this deal.
There have been a few in this vein. George loving her, George doing anything for her even if she’s being quite demanding, George admiring her but has he been right to, George trying so hard with her family even if it’s getting to be take take take with them, George risking love as a first time real romantic even if she doesn’t seem as romantic back.
On the last one, George’s own proposal tale was seemed meant to be a funny with his aged knees and all but the subtext had Amal as vapid OMGeeeing then reluctant delaying. Oh she was “surprised” but then the story still didn’t wrap it with a her as overwhelmed as saying “Yes” with great love. It hit me as probably not at all true but also still casting himself as the romantic lead in the made up.
I can’t help think we can expect more of this for a while and then an ‘amicable separation’ with Team George doing “well he really tried, really loved, but Amal turned out to be not what George thought”. Also, if she tries to make it not ‘amicable’ she’s already been cast as “gold digger” so that would confirm it.
I think they both knew exactly who the other was and what they each wanted from this and they figured they’d be win win. What they didn’t figure on was the public not believing.
George’s image has taken a big hit as this deal has gone wrong. One damage limitation option is the above. Then he looks a bit of a mug for having been taken in but the public rally to “poor George”. If she and her family have him over a barrel this would be one way to break that hold.
They should hire you;-)
Hmm, do not underestimate George’s stubborness.
After all the hoopla he did PR wise to make the disaster work, I just can’t see him giving up his latest fantasy so easily.
But I would roll over the floor laughing, if he got “caught” with the next pretty young waitress/model/whatsoever, like “Oops, I did it again!”.
True, he won’t admit a mistake that huge easily. He might just look for opportunities to escape, probably skyping with Rande on a daily basis when not in LA;-) There have been blind items already about nightly visitors to his suite at the Carlyle- only those were male models…oh well, it will be interesting to see this unfold.
Blind Items are pure fiction. Revealed items are hardly news as it’s known gossip written in cryptic text to keep you guessing or far too obvious to be a puzzle.
The ones that would be the juiciest like that one is total false.
I just think that George is head over heels and can’t help but give her free reign of his wealth…..a smitten man, kinda sweet actually. She loves fashion…her style is quirky and she likes to experiment. I like them together.
Maybe this is a genuine marriage with no PR goal. The constant focus and strongly sold narrative suggests otherwise. So, if we could rewind 18 months (to the pre-engagement, pre-awards and Monuments flop), what if this had happened versus unveiling the engagement and wedding extravaganza —
George could have simply taken some time off to let the gossip world cool off (which would have happened). He could spend time with his elderly parents, had time to consider future projects and maybe some way to help make a difference in a real, lasting way. He could have started a foundation or program that could be his legacy.
It just seems like he knee-jerked with a seemingly sudden relationship to steer public opinion, when there were many other ways to do that.
I don’t believe this story. But I do believe that George one day will be kmd….
I’m sure George knows she is a high maintenance lady with expensive taste. There is nothing wrong about that if you can afford it.
She’s probably a goldigger and liked the fame that comes with Clooney.
Being a lawyer does not exclude goldigging and famewh….and wanting to climb in circles outside of her career.
I believe she is a goldigger and fame wh…with a good contract outcome, through her hubby , a Berkshire Mansion and Millions of dollars in the bank, she didn’t have before marriage.
This women isnt a bit slow, she will gain alot from this marriage. There is just something not genuine about her or her family. I would say she is more of a golddigger than any of the other girls George was with.
My point is don’t blame her, blame George instead. I am sure she didn’t force him to marry her.
@Fan: Why would anybody ‘blame’ anyone? We’re talking about two adults here, both wanting something out of this “merger”. Of course she wanted this lifestyle, fame and money, and for the time being, he seems to be willing to even extend that generosity towards her whole family. It might switch the minute she becomes too demanding. But the real problem I see in something else: SHE has to deliver HER part of the deal, which MIGHT have been that she continues working, getting her/his name in the news with the prestigious cases she is involved with. So far, there hasn’t been much news in this regard…
@Siri but then we’re back to having reasonably legit concerns as to the many pies she’s being given undue access to stick her thumb in.
If it was celeb alone, well so far so same ole for a fameho seeking to make an easy buck or two.
She’s being given open door policy now on stuff that really counts for too many people for it to be shrugged at on blame.
Her Clooney name gives her power or influence as a conduit to power. If that’s been come by in the shady way it’s really beginning to seem, then how it’s being used could be a worry too.
I fully agree with you on this. There might even be some serious political interests behind all this from the start, and I wouldn’t necessarily think of George first here. It’s still rather unclear how they met/were introduced, but I never thought it was incidential.
Perhaps we should ask the ladies on datalounge?
I think she thinks of herself like a Jackie Kennedy who snared Onasis. She wants to be perceived as above it all from the other Hollywood A listers he knows … She is aloof to them but loves that she is admired by the media as Jackie O was admired for her style and high society life. Clooney with millions is happy to play her rich Onasis because he enjoys thinking that everyone is inferior to his affluent wife. He’s never going to meet anyone in her league that’s as educated or professionally elite. So she’s got him under her thumb.