Amal Clooney is opening up about one of the biggest adjustments she’s made since marrying George Clooney, and it has less to do with Hollywood than balancing life in the spotlight.
Speaking at the Cartier Dialogues event in Bangkok on June 9, the international human rights lawyer reflected on how her personal and professional worlds shifted after marrying the Oscar-winning actor in 2014. According to People, Amal said she was once able to keep those parts of her life completely separate. That changed once she became part of one of entertainment’s most recognizable couples.
She admitted she initially found herself thinking twice about public appearances, even wondering whether wearing a certain dress or attending an event might affect how people viewed her while appearing before judges.
Over time, though, Amal said she stopped letting those concerns dictate her decisions. Instead, she focused on living her life and prioritizing the people and moments that mattered most.
“If you’re good at what you do, that is going to shine through or not,” she said, adding that she wasn’t going to let public perception stop her from doing things that were important to her family or her relationship.
Parenthood Shifted Their Priorities
Amal’s comments also touched on how starting a family changed both her and George’s approach to work.
The couple, who welcomed twins Alexander and Ella in 2017, have continued their advocacy through the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which they co-founded in 2016. The organization provides legal assistance to women and girls around the world, including in countries such as Malawi, where Amal noted child marriage remains a serious issue and legal resources are limited.
While their commitment to human rights has never changed, the way they approach their work has.
George previously told People that before becoming parents, both he and Amal frequently worked in dangerous parts of the world. He traveled to conflict zones including Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Abyei, while Amal spent years working on legal cases from a bunker in Beirut.
After welcoming their children, however, they agreed those assignments were no longer worth the risk. George said becoming parents meant changing the rules and putting their family’s safety first.
From Lake Como to a Life Together
George and Amal first met in 2013 after a mutual friend introduced them at George’s home on Italy’s Lake Como, per ELLE. They stayed in touch through email before beginning a relationship that quickly led to an engagement in April 2014.
The couple married in Venice later that year and have continued supporting one another’s careers while building a family together. They launched the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016 and welcomed their twins the following year.
Throughout their marriage, both have spoken publicly about the support they receive from one another. George has joked that Amal is still “out of his league,” while Amal has credited him with encouraging her career and helping make it possible to balance motherhood with her work as an international human rights lawyer.
Today, the family splits time between Europe and the United States, with France serving as one of their home bases. Although Amal acknowledged that marrying George brought a level of public attention she had never experienced before, she said she ultimately chose not to let it define how she lives her life.
“It was something new to navigate,” Amal said.
