I did a story about George Clooney’s motor-scooter crash when the news first broke, but I didn’t do any follow-ups on it. Part of me felt really sorry for George and part of me was very curious as to how George’s PR would handle the crash and whether we would get any details about his injuries. It was said, at the time, that George’s injuries weren’t that bad and that he checked out of the hospital pretty quickly after the crash. But here’s the video of the crash:
It’s bad. It’s not “he should be dead” bad, but it’s bad, especially when you consider that he’s a 57-year-old man with a lengthy history of back problems. Well, the photos in this post are of George and Amal last week, following the crash, as they were boarding their private plane. George is being supported physically by helpers and Amal. My guess is that he’s much more injured than his people are admitting. His back looks all kinds of screwed up. So now People Magazine is making this all about how Amal is being so supportive.
As soon as Amal Clooney got word that George had been involved in a serious motor-scooter accident on the Italian island of Sardinia on July 10, she immediately rushed to her husband’s side. And for several days, even after George was released from the local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, it’s where Amal remained, a source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
“Amal wouldn’t leave his side,” says the source. “It was obvious that she was concerned.”
His and Amal’s families “were very worried and on the telephone reassuring one another, saying how lucky George was,” another close source tells PEOPLE. “He could have been killed.”
Fortunately the actor, who had been en route to the Sardinia set of his Hulu series Catch-22, was wearing a helmet (which reportedly cracked on impact) and managed to escape without serious injury. Clooney is back at work “a little banged up but fine,” according to an insider, and no doubt feeling especially grateful – for his health of course, but also for Amal’s ever-present support. As a source close to the family tells PEOPLE, “After being with them, you realize what a truly loving couple they are.”
I mean… I would think that Amal was by his side constantly because it was a lot more serious than they’re admitting publicly. Of course she was concerned – that accident was horrific, and her husband seems like he can barely walk. I’m sure there’s some kind of insurance issue of Catch-22 too – I truly wonder if George was violating some kind of contractual clause by driving his motor-scooter during filming, and now he HAS to show up for work.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid.
I don’t understand…are we supposed to be surprised by the news? In awe of her great love for George? I mean, it seems like a pretty basic response if the person you love has been injured.
Confused by why this is ‘news’, but wishing him a successful recovery.
It is unfortunate that in this day and age seeing one person love and care for another is truly news worthy.
This is the question that I had. When I first saw this story I thought: okay? People really will write about anything, I guess.
People mag has always been a pipeline for klooney’s people..when they want a story for whatever reason they write it and it’s printed..it’s never for ‘news’ purposes.
Baria, Amal’s momager, uses any excuse to keep trying to make her daughter happen. No, I’m not jealous. I’m a professional woman who knows plenty of them and George just seems so self-serving and out of date when he tries to sell her as the only successful professional woman to have ever existed. Before Amal he was apparently trying to date Fatima Bhutto but that girl is actually sensible and knew him for what he is/was.
Agreed that it is confusing that this is news. Of course she should be by his side and support him; that’s what people in loving relationships do for one another.
Hope that he’s better soon. Back injuries aren’t fun.
Sorry double post for some reason
Unfortunately…not life threatening does not mean NOT life altering. Back pain and these type of ortho injuries are part of the problem with opioids in this country. You can be technically ‘healthy’ but living with horrible pain with no real resolution. So sad.
YES. More people need to appreciate how even seemingly minor injuries can start the path to chronic pain. My sister was hit by a semi truck several years back – or more specifically, she was hit by the car behind her that was hit by the semi truck. She was fine and walked away from the accident…for the first four weeks after. Then her shoulder went. Then her back went. Then her hip went. After having three crushed vertebrae repaired, some shoulder surgery, and several years of rehab, she’s in much better shape. But she’s thirty years old and can no longer work jobs that require significant manual labor or excessive standing. She also can’t sit in certain positions for too long before it affects her shoulder. She’s been out of work three years and is still struggling to find an employer who doesn’t view circumstances beyond her control as a detriment. She has thousands in medical bills. She will always have to have pain meds available should she overwork a muscle. The stress of their financial situation wound up contributing to her husband’s relapse into alcoholism, and now they’re divorced.
And she considers herself FORTUNATE because a lot of her muscle functionality has returned with time and significant effort. Her pain is more manageable. The guy who hit her was insured by his company, so she at least got compensated in the lawsuit enough to cover the medical bills – although, not so much that it would cover the three years of income loss she had. Her ex-husband isn’t fighting her for the money. There are people have it much worse, sure, but her life is changed forever, and she knows it. We downplay non-fatal injuries way too much – especially for somebody older like Clooney for whom healing and rehabilitation is a longer and more extensive process.
That’s a tough go for your sister, Veronica S. And you are so right re downplayed injuries. A lot of times, it’s hard for people to recognize that you don’t need to be in a chair or have a cast, etc., in order to have injuries.
To think your sister is so young and has to deal with this for life. I feel for her. It is good she is coping and all but the costs she paid were high.
That is horrifying, Veronica. I wish your sister good things.
Agreed. Chronic pain is what ended up killing Prince and Tom Petty. They were on those opioids because of their pain.
You are so right…..this is my reality. Hope he hasn’t damaged his back terribly but I’m sure he is suffering.
Well said, thanks!
Their daughter is adorable as this is the first time I’ve seen her face
I agree! Never seen their kids before and she is such a doll!
The baby is really cute, looks nothing like either Amal or George, also Amal is not interacting with the baby AT ALL, not once in any of the photos.
Oh I think you might be on to something @Kaiser. If so that’s very unfortunate because he may not be taking the days he needs to recover as insurance may not cover the production shut down. Not good. His back was terrible before this and now? Yikes.
I’m not sure how restrictive these insurance policies are. Probably a higher insurance premium if you refuse to refrain from certain activities. For example Tom Cruise’s insurance on Mission Impossible must be sickenly high. Certainly even medium sized productions have drivers for the top line people; but I guess it’s a question of what was the agreement on his personal time. Hmmm, could be messy.
I’m not sure what insurance rider would forbid the riding of a Vespa. What would be an issue was if he was drunk, but it looks like the accident was caused by a car veering onto the wrong side of the road.
However, George does have professional obligations and probably doesn’t want to give them up. He’s always been the type to push through – hence the debilitating back injury during Syriana. And this could have an impact on his future employment and he wants to play it close to the vest, which makes sense because he’s not all that forthcoming about how bad his back is to begin with.
“I’m not sure what insurance rider would forbid the riding of a Vespa. ”
Didnt the Harry Potter kids have clause against skiing in their contracts? Anything that can lead to injury and isnt easily avoidable is probably in those contracts. Many people injury themselves showering but you cant ban that. Same for transporation but you can outrule certain modes of transportation and sitting on a bike you are often a mobile organ donor.
I’ve never heard that and nothing comes up on a Google Search.
And it depends on the individual job. Certain high risk activities will be prohibited during filming with some contracts, but it is different for each job and each individual. It’s possible that noted motorcycle enthusiast Clooney is prohibited from riding his bike during filming, but not a Vespa (which is a fairly standard mode of transportation in Italy). It’s also possible that he’s not violating his contract at all, but doesn’t want to take the hit of significantly delaying production. Or perhaps he’s in pain but can still function and doesn’t want to hand off his vision to someone else.
I can totally see it. My travel insurance forbids a lot of that sort of stuff; scooters, tuk tuks, anything like that and I’m not a huge bankable star with lots of money riding on me.
This man is lucky to be alive.
I mean, if that was my spouse, I’d be by their side continuously if I could for any significant injury. Especially since they can afford it. Back injuries ain’t no joke, yo. My sister is four years removed from an accident and still deals with regular pain from vertebral damage, and she was in her twenties when it happened.
edit: holy shit, I just watched the video, and what was that car even doing in the opposite lane?? A left turn? He is literally lucky to be alive. A great reflection of why a helmet is essential to motorcycle riding.
I found it so strange the scooter in front of George had absolutely no problem going around the car, George’s scooter seemed to aim straight FOR the car. Was Clooney not paying attention and never bothered to avoid the car the way the scooter only seconds in front of him manged to do?
Also, the car was not moving, it did not plow into Clooney, if anything, Clooney plowed into a car at a standstill without even trying to avoid it.
Wife stays by Husbands bedside after an accident.
I’m not married but I think that would be standard operating procedure.
I live in the DC metro area, and unfortunately, I have seen my fair share of accidents like that, along with a ton of cars on fire on the side of the beltway. Not sure why that is so prevalent here, but I also digress, still George is lucky he wasn’t hurt worse.
Two things, can we stop with the articles about how a wife is dedicated or loves her husband. Seriously, I hope so. On a totally gossipy subject, cute baby girl, but where is the boy? Just wondering.
Someone else must have been holding the boy. Amal doesn’t have 3 arms.
There were photos back in May I think it was of both children being carried off the plane in Sardinia. Both are cute. The boy is a little bigger.
I think this is Alexander. But they were both in little jeans that day, so it could be Ella. I think Alexander had a shirt on with short sleeves.
https://amalalamuddinstyle.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/img_4887.jpg?w=640
Just wondering, I didn’t expect Amal to have 3 arms, just thought the other baby would be nearby with someone. I haven’t ever seen them. Thanks for the picture Jayna, that does look like the boy, and Amal seems like the type of Mom who would definitely dress her kids in boy/girl type clothes. Not a bash at her so don’t get upset. The kids do look a lot alike though, both are very cute.
Some man, maybe a bodyguard, had the other baby. I’m sure they were in a hurry to hand off the kids to their bio Mother.
He was tossed off that Vespa like a ragdoll – the video is pretty scary. And he’s had a bad back for a while. So, this may not be good for George. He’s also older now, so he’s not going to bounce back as fast, especially with an existing back injury. That said, maybe he should have thought about something a bit more substantial than a Vespa. However, I’ve been in Italy, and those things are everywhere and are ridden with reckless abandon.
The baby is gorgeous – she definitely has George’s face.
So if I’m seeing that right, he ran into the back of a stopped vehicle? Is that right?
correct – looks like the driver of the Mercedes that George hit head-on was in the wrong lane (trying to make a left-hand turn). He was an older guy, in his 70s, I believe. The driver said he had “sun in his eyes”. The guy George was riding with on another Vespa saw the Mercedes and drove around it, but George didn’t. He smashed into that Mercedes pretty hard. It’s miraculous that he didn’t get more seriously hurt – Vespa vs. Mercedes – not good odds. I’d hate to be that guy in the Mercedes right now – I hope he has a VERY good attorney…….
Not quite. He ran into the front of a vehicle that veered into oncoming traffic. The car he hit was travelling in the opposite direction, in the far lane, and then crossed over. I’m guessing that George didn’t have time to really brake.
Did Clooney not notice the scooter in front of him, a bodyguard I believe, managed to go around the car with room to spare. Clooney was either on drugs or drunk not to be able to go around the car, there was plenty of room.
I’m trying to figure out that last big photo. The guy in the blue jacket is holding on to a handle right in front of him, looks like it’s attached to a ramp. George is hanging on to him and Amal. If you follow Amal’s legs down, the ramp is now on the other side of her instead of in front of the guy in the blue jacket. Weird.
The ramp is not on the ground. It’s about a foot above ground level.
That makes sense. It’s the shadow of the ramp that is messing me up. The shadow looks like it’s on the ground.
And I really like Amal’s shoes.
That was a freaking TERRIFYING accident, and I don’t doubt a woman as concerned with humanity as Amal Clooney also has ample feelings for her husband of a few short years. I’d be by his side constantly too, and I’d cut anyone who’d shame me for it.