George Clooney, his wife Amal, and their two children have been awarded French citizenship, according to the government. The announcement appeared in the Journal Officiel, where official decrees are published. It confirmed the family is now legally French.
The Clooneys live primarily at their farm in Brignoles, in southern France. They bought the property in 2021, and it has since become their main residence. The decision to settle there has drawn attention locally.
The mayor of the city, Didier Brémond, spoke to local media about the move. He said it showed “his love for our country”. He also described the Clooneys as “a very simple and very accessible family”.
Speaking to a French broadcaster, the mayor added: “Here, he wants to live normally, and that’s what he is trying to do.” The family is often seen around town, blending in rather than standing out. Locals say they keep a low profile.
Earlier this year, Clooney explained the move in an interview. He said he was “worried about raising our kids in LA, in the culture of Hollywood”. Privacy and pressure were major concerns for him.
“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,” he said. He felt France offered a calmer and more grounded environment.
“We live on a farm in France,” Clooney said. He talked about growing up on a farm himself and not liking it as a child. But he said things feel very different now.
“But now, for them, it’s like they’re not on their iPads, you know?” he said. “They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”
The family also owns homes in the UK and in Kentucky, where Clooney was born. Their twins, Ella and Alexander, were born in London in 2017. Amal Clooney was born in Lebanon and raised in the UK.
Official records show Amal Clooney was naturalised under her maiden name, Amal Alamuddin. Adjusting to life in France seems easier for her and the children than for Clooney himself.
While promoting a new movie, Clooney said his wife and kids speak perfect French. He joked that his own French is “horrible”, despite using an app to learn. He added that they sometimes speak French around him so he does not know what they are saying.
