Amal Clooney Opens Up About Losing Privacy After Marrying George
Human rights barrister Amal Clooney has revealed the significant sacrifice she made after marrying Hollywood star George Clooney 11 years ago. Speaking at the Cartier Women's Initiative event, she explained how her world shifted dramatically following her introduction to the actor in 2013.
"I used to have my work life and my personal life, and they could look quite different, and I was able to not have them mix," she said. "And then I got married, and that changed quite a lot."
Balancing Career and Public Scrutiny
Amal, a prominent human rights lawyer, described the initial challenges of merging her professional identity with public attention. "At first I was kind of conscious of that one-dimensional view where I felt, well, I can't be seen wearing this dress, or doing this, because I'm in front of a judge on Monday," she recalled.
However, she has since adopted a more pragmatic approach. "But it just doesn't matter as much as living your life, and ultimately, if you're good at what you do, that is going to shine through or not," she said. "So I wouldn't allow that factor to stop me from doing things that were important for my family or my relationship."
Family Life and Move to France
George and Amal Clooney married in 2014 and in 2021 purchased a home in Provence, France. In 2025, the couple and their eight-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, became French citizens. They confirmed they were leaving the US, joining a growing number of celebrities relocating abroad.
George previously told Esquire about their decision: "Yeah, we're very lucky. … A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid, I hated the whole idea of it. But now, for them, it's like — they're not on their iPads, you know?" He added, "They have a much better life. I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life."
He emphasized France's attitude toward fame: "France—they kind of don't give a shit about fame. I don't want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don't want them being compared to somebody else's famous kids."
Protecting Children from Public Attention
The couple has consistently sought to shield their children from the spotlight. George told GQ: "I have a goal of trying to protect, I don't want pictures of my kids. We deal in very serious subject matters, with very serious bad guys, and we don't want to have photos of our kids out there. So we have to work hard at trying to stay private, and it's tricky, as you can imagine."
At their home, they enforce a strict rule requiring guests to surrender their phones upon entry to prevent unauthorized photos. "Creating private moments and spaces is becoming increasingly difficult," Amal told Glamour. "But that's also why we entertain a lot at home. I now have a phone basket that I use to take everyone's phones away."
She added: "It's important to get that balance where you have time alone with your family and with your friends, where people feel like you can have a safe and frank exchange. And I would say becoming a parent means you're more troubled by some of the intrusions."
"We do the best we can to minimize any impact on our children. We don't put our children out there. We've never put their photo out there or anything like that," Amal concluded.
