George Clooney, Hollywood’s charming heartthrob, had a brief marriage that ended in divorce. He declared he would never walk down the aisle again, but fate had other plans. His love story with the stunning Amal from an unexpected meeting to a memorable proposal is captivating. But what about his first wife, and why do our readers believe she surpasses Amal in beauty?
This feature dives deep into the stories of both relationships. We’ll explore how George and Amal’s relationship blossomed, the public’s opinion on who is more beautiful, and the significant differences between the two women. Let’s start by uncovering the story of how George and Amal met most unexpectedly.
George met Amal most unexpectedly—through a mutual friend. It was a serendipitous encounter that neither of them saw coming. George didn’t even have to leave his house to meet the woman who would become his wife.
Amal was visiting Italy with a friend who decided to introduce her to George at his home near Lake Como. The actor humorously recounts the events leading up to their initial encounter. His agent said that he’d found the woman he would marry, a notion he initially dismissed as a joke.
“She came to the house in Como with a friend of hers to visit. But the funniest thing is Bryan Lourd, my agent, called me. He had just met Amal. He called me up and he said, ‘There’s a girl coming to your house that you’re gonna marry.’ And I was like, ‘You’re an idiot. You know that’s not gonna happen,'” he recounted.
Bryan Lourd and George Clooney attend the 78th Annual Academy Awards | Source: Getty Images
A friend of Amal shared, “[Amal] was looking for Mr. Perfect, and he was nowhere to be found.” But when she and George met, she found what she had been looking for.
Their first meeting coincided with a visit from George’s parents. They stayed up all night talking, forming an instant connection. Amal’s gesture of sending George photos from her visit sparked an email exchange.
After weeks of writing to each other, George made a trip to London and made a plan to woo her. He invited her to Abbey Road Studios for a movie scoring session—an invitation Amal accepted despite her hectic schedule.
George’s proposal to Amal on April 28, 2014, however, did not go as smoothly. After dating for six months, he planned a romantic dinner with music from his aunt Rosemary Clooney playing in the background.
He placed the engagement ring in a box with a lighter and asked Amal to light the candles he had conveniently blown out. When she found the ring, she was confused, thinking it was left there by someone else. “It was a disaster,” he said.
“I got down on my knee, and I said, ‘I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you.’ And she kept looking at the ring, and she’s like, ‘Oh my god.’ And we now know, because there’s a playlist, so we know how long it took. And it’s like 25 minutes,” he narrated.
George, still in his position on the floor, finally had to ask for an answer. “Listen, I really would like to marry you, but I also am not young and I’ve been on my knee now. And I could like lose a hip, you know? And then she goes, ‘Oh, yes,'” he recalled.
Their wedding followed soon after, with a beautiful ceremony in Venice in September 2014. George often expresses how lucky he feels to have found Amal and how their relationship has brought immense joy to his life.
His current wife has been called the world’s hottest lawyer, but what do fans have to say about his ex-wife? Public opinion is divided, with some praising Amal’s sophistication while others reminisce about his ex-wife’s natural beauty.
When we posted a side-by-side photo of Amal and George’s ex-wife online, it sparked a heated debate about who was more beautiful. One reader commented, “Amal is very striking and sophisticated. Talia is more natural and pretty.” Many others simply said, “First wife, of course!”
There were also comments about how similar the two women looked. “They’re like sisters,” one person noted. Despite the differing opinions, many agreed that both women are beautiful, each in their own unique way.
George and Amal’s relationship has been under the spotlight, not just for their love story but also for the comparisons drawn between Amal and George’s past. Next, we will delve into who Amal is and the impressive career that sets her apart.
Amal Clooney, born Amal Alamuddin, is not just the wife of a Hollywood star. She is an accomplished international lawyer specializing in human rights. Amal co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice with George.
This foundation is aimed to advance justice in courtrooms, communities, and classrooms worldwide. Her work has taken her to some of the most challenging legal arenas, where she represents victims of human rights abuses.
Her impressive resume includes cases at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the European Court of Human Rights.
She has represented Yazidi victims of genocide in court against ISIS members and was counsel to 126 victims of the Darfur genocide. She is also involved in the Task Force on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine, working to ensure justice for war crimes victims.
Her dedication to human rights and her high-profile cases have made her a respected figure in the legal community. In addition to her courtroom achievements, Amal is also an educator.
She serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School and has co-authored a leading textbook on the right to a fair trial in international law. Her extensive education includes degrees from Oxford University and New York University School of Law.
She is often seen as a fashion icon, but it is her legal work and humanitarian efforts that truly define her. Her public image is that of a sophisticated, intelligent, and accomplished woman.
Now, let’s turn our attention to George’s first marriage and the woman who once held his heart.
Before meeting Amal, George was married to actress Talia Balsam. Just like George, her career started in the late ’70s. They met in 1984 during a local play and quickly fell in love.
George Clooney and Talia Balsam attend the ABC Television Affiliates Party on June 14, 1990 | Source: Getty Images
After breaking up and reuniting years later, they got married. However, the marriage lasted only three years before it started to unravel. George has openly admitted that he was not ready for marriage at the time.
“I probably—definitely—wasn’t someone who should have been married at that point,” he admitted. Their divorce in 1992, which began amicably, turned complicated once lawyers got involved. George ended up paying $80,000 in legal fees, which he found frustrating.
Despite this, George and Talia have moved on with their lives. Talia is now happily married to actor John Slattery, with whom she shares a son, Harry.