George Clooney may have premiered his latest film, 'Jay Kelly', at the New York Film Festival on September 29, but the real showstopper on the red carpet was Amal Clooney, both in fashion and sentiment.
The human rights lawyer turned heads in a burgundy Oscar de la Renta minidress, featuring a sculpted velvet bodice and a bold 3D floral skirt. The ensemble was paired with metallic gold heels, a matching clutch, and drop earrings. However, it was more than just a fashion statement.
It subtly paid homage to her wedding dress, also designed by de la Renta, from her 2014 nuptials with George in Venice. The couple, who celebrated their 11th anniversary just two days before the premiere, looked effortlessly elegant as they posed together on the red carpet.
But behind the glam, George got candid about what truly keeps their marriage strong. Speaking exclusively to People, he shared, “The greatest lesson I learned is to marry the right person, which I did. And so, it has been nothing but an honor and a pleasure to be married to my wife.”
They marked the milestone with a quiet dinner, George revealed. “We had a nice dinner night before last,” he told Extra. As for what the next decade holds? He joked, “Mostly me gumming bread because I’m 64, so I’ll be 75.”
The Clooneys’ love story began in 2013 after being introduced by a mutual friend. They married in a star-studded ceremony in Venice in September 2014 and welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in 2017. George has spoken often about how deeply Amal changed his life.
“All I know is that it sort of changed everything in terms of what I thought my future — my personal future — was going to be,” he told People in 2015. “I wasn’t always completely optimistic about how it was going to work out personally for me. But now I am.”
He shared similar sentiments during an appearance on 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman' in 2018. “I felt that I had met someone who I would absolutely, you know, trade my life for. I met someone who her life meant more to me than my life. And I'd never had that experience before.”
Amal, too, has shared how their connection was immediate. During her 2018 speech at the AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony honoring George, she recalled, “I met George when I was 35 and starting to become quite resigned to the idea that I was going to be a spinster… I couldn't sleep when we were apart. And I am told I would display a particular grin and head tilt when reading his text messages or the letters that he would hide in my bag.”
She added, “Five years later, none of that has changed. He is the person who has my complete admiration and also the person whose smile makes me melt every time.”
The Beirut-born lawyer, a Visiting Professor at Oxford and adjunct professor at Columbia, has built a career representing high-profile clients like Julian Assange and Mohamed Nasheed. Yet, she remains a constant presence at George’s side during major moments.
In her 2022 TIME Women of the Year profile, Amal said, “Marriage has been wonderful. I have in my husband a partner who is incredibly inspirational and supportive, and we have a home filled with love and laughter. It is a joy beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”
When it comes to Clooney, he may joke about slowing down, but he’s not stepping away just yet. “I’m not in that mass rush to succeed anymore,” he said. “I get to be home with my kids a lot and it’s fun. I’m still young enough that I can run around with them. That’s going away quickly, but I can still do it right now.”