George and Amal Clooney: how they came back from the brink

Insiders say that the showbiz couple are planning on tying the knot for a second time, after falling in love again in Italy

amal george clooney

by Charlotte Roberts |
Updated on

They’re one of the most famous, yet private, Hollywood celebrity couples – but last week, George and Amal Clooney showed off their love to the world.

The pair stepped out at the Venice Film Festival, using the occasion as the perfect excuse for some sweet date nights – with the duo also photographed hand-in-hand as Amal picked up her leadership prize from the DVF Awards.

And now insiders say George, 62, and Amal, 45 – who married in September 2014 – are so loved up that they’re gearing up to renew their vows ahead of their 10th wedding anniversary.

george and amal clooney
the couple have never been happier ©Dave Benett/Getty Images

The source says, “The original plan was to do this next year when they’ll have a decade under their belt, but now they don’t want to wait that long. They’re looking at renewing their vows most likely over the holidays or spring 2024, but possibly even sooner.”

And in true Clooney fashion, the ceremony will take place in their beloved Italy. The source says, “They were planning to do it at their villa in Lake Como, where their privacy is guaranteed. But after spending the past week in Venice, they’re now considering doing it there. Either way, it will be in Italy. That’s their happy place, and where they feel the most relaxed.”

Before finding love with Amal, George was the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood. Having broken up with his first wife, actress Talia Balsam, 64, back in 1993 after four years of marriage, the megastar insisted he would “never get married again”, going on to have a slew of famous exes including the likes of British TV presenter Lisa Snowdon, 51, model Celine Balitran, 48, and Italian model and actress Elisabetta Canalis, 46.

george clooney ex wives
with first wife talia (left), he dated lisa for five years (middle), he split from elisabette in 2011 (right) ©Getty Images

But after failing to find the special connection, the star was finally tamed in 2013 by world- renowned human rights lawyer Amal – who he reportedly met at a Lake Como dinner party.

The pair had a lavish £3.5million wedding in Venice, seeing their guests check into luxury suites for the week-long celebrations. And in 2017, the A-list couple completed their fairy-tale romance by welcoming twins Ella and Alexander, now six.

But despite being showbiz royalty – with the couple attending Prince Harry and Meghan’s Windsor Castle wedding in 2018 – the two are notoriously private.

Giving fans a rare glimpse into his romance with Amal, George previously gushed, “Her life meant more to me than my life, and I had never had that experience before”, later adding, “At 52, I found the love of my life”.

george amal clooney
lockdown was tough for the pair ©Gotham/GC Images

And with the pair more loved-up than ever before, insiders say they were inspired to renew their vows following a tricky time during the pandemic.

The source reveals, “George and Amal had a very rough time during lockdown, and being cooped up together for months wasn’t very good for them or their marriage. For a while, it seemed like they were stuck in a major rut – but then last year they made the very wise decision to take some time apart to focus on their own projects. Amal went to New York for work and George stayed in London to direct his movie, The Boys In The Boat.

“In their case, the long distance actually brought them closer. It turned out to be the best thing for their relationship because they had a chance to miss each other, and George started romancing Amal again. In a lot of ways, they’re more in love now than they were when they first got married, and they want to celebrate it.”

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And the source adds that the pair would now love to have their kids take part in the stunning ceremony.

The source shares, “This time the twins will be a part of the ceremony, which makes it even more special. George is talking about getting Alexander a little matching suit to his, which will be adorable.

“The guest list will be pretty much the same as last time – even George’s parents, who are both in their late 80s now, are planning to be there.”

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