George Clooney Says After Decades of Hollywood, He’s Shielding His Kids from the Life He Built
George Clooney is proving that even Hollywood royalty knows when it’s time to trade the red carpets for dirt roads and vineyard views.
The 64-year-old actor opened up to Esquire about why he and wife Amal traded the lifestyles of the rich and famous for life out in the sticks with their 8-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella.
The 64-year-old actor recently opened up to Esquire about why he and his wife, Amal Clooney, 47, chose to raise their 8-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, on a farm in France rather than in the entertainment capital of Los Angeles.
For Clooney, the decision wasn’t just about lifestyle — it was about giving his children a fighting chance at normalcy in a world obsessed with celebrity culture.
Growing up in the Hollywood spotlight, he explained, would have meant constant paparazzi attention, unfair comparisons to other famous kids, and the toxic culture that comes with Tinseltown territory.
When Clooney’s kids start asking questions about God and death, he touches his son’s chest and tells him never to say that his dad’s not around anymore, because he’ll always be in Alexander’s chest.
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— Esquire (@esquire) October 6, 2025
“We live on a farm in France,” George told the magazine. “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? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”
The decision to settle in France, where fame doesn’t carry the same weight as it does stateside, has allowed Alexander and Ella to experience childhood without the burden of being “George Clooney’s kids” everywhere they go.
He admitted being worried about raising them in L.A., feeling they would never get a fair shake at life surrounded by Hollywood’s obsession with status and celebrity lineage.
The internet, naturally, had thoughts.
“Little does he know it’s not just Hollywood culture he saved them from,” one person tweeted in response to George’s interview.
Another sarcastically noted, “Thank goodness he had the economic means to move to South France and buy a 400 acre estate with a vineyard so his kids could just be normal.”
One person wrote, “If you can afford it, why not,” while another was less diplomatic: “You mean living a place like LA isn’t good for kids? Who would’ve thought that.”
An actor chimed in with frustration, saying, “This is kinda a slap in the face to low-level actors, like myself. I don’t make the wages to move my family to France. I have to raise my family in LA.”
One commenter even posed a pointed question for the interviewer: “Could’ve asked him why he’s so involved in American politics when he lives in France.”
That political involvement remains a sore spot for some critics, particularly after George penned a controversial op-ed calling for then-President Joe Biden to step aside during the 2024 election cycle. His engagement in American political discourse while living abroad has raised eyebrows among those who question his commitment to the country he left behind.
Meanwhile, whispers about trouble in paradise have circulated in recent months.
Reports surfaced earlier this year suggesting that George’s Broadway run in New York City for “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which lasted from March through June, created strain on his marriage. With Amal appointed as a visiting professor at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, the couple found themselves living on separate continents.
Some reports claimed the distance served as an unintended trial separation, testing their decade-long marriage. Adding to the speculation, reports suggested Amal wasn’t thrilled about George reconnecting with Brad Pitt during their promotion of the film “Wolfs.”
Despite the rumored marital tensions, both George and Amal remain fiercely protective of their children’s privacy. Amal revealed to Glamour that she uses a phone basket when guests visit their home, collecting everyone’s devices to ensure private moments stay private. The couple has never publicly shared photos of Alexander and Ella, determined to shield them from the intrusive spotlight that follows their famous parents.
In a hilarious moment captured by Esquire, when George asked his twins what happens if their mother cooks, both kids responded in perfect unison: “We all die!”
It’s clear that despite the challenges of celebrity, distance, and public scrutiny, the Clooneys are raising children who understand humor, responsibility, and the value of a life less ordinary.
Whether in France or temporarily in New York City, George’s priority remains giving his kids the childhood he believes they deserve — one where Robert De Niro is just “that guy at the house” and dinner with the family beats screen time any day.
