George Clooney Defends Catty Op-Ed That 'Brought Down Joe Biden' as His 'Civic Duty' — As He Faces Mounting Divorce Rumors
George Clooney insisted writing his bombshell Joe Biden op-ed was his 'civic duty.'
April 17 2025, Published 8:30 p.m. ET
George Clooney has pushed back on criticism over his Joe Biden op-ed as he faces mounting rumors about the state of his marriage with Amal Clooney, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Despite backlash his New York Times op-ed sparked, in which he called on the Democratic president to end his re-election campaign, the Academy Award winner insisted the piece was his "civic duty."
Clooney faced backlash after he called on Biden to step aside months before the November election.
Clooney, 63, went on the defensive as he explained his reasoning for taking such a public stand and aired frustrations many in the Democratic felt with Biden still in the race.
During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Clooney said: "Well, I don’t know if it was brave… It was a civic duty. Because I found people on my side of the street, you know, I'm a Democrat in Kentucky, so I get it. When I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth, I thought it's time.
"Listen, the idea of freedom of speech, the specific idea of it is – you can't demand freedom of speech and then say but don't say bad things about me."
Clooney said the op-ed was sparked after he noticed Biden 'was less sharp' at a political fundraiser he co-hosted.
He continued: "That's the deal. You have to take a stand if you believe in it, take a stand – stand for it – and then deal with the consequences. That's the rules."
The actor noted he's been criticized in the past for his outspoken political views, adding: "And I have to take that. That's fair, I'm okay with that. I'm okay with criticism for where I stand.
"I defend their right to criticize me as much as I defend my right to criticize them."
Clooney said he doesn't mind criticism because that's 'the deal' with freedom of speech.
The movie star penned his op-ed in July 2024, mere weeks after he co-hosted an A-list political fundraiser for then-President Biden, which brought in $30million for his re-election campaign.
Clooney later recalled the fundraiser being a turning point for his support of Biden's campaign, noting one particular incident in which he noted the president "was less sharp" when he was led off-stage by former president Barack Obama.
Weeks later, he warned in his op-ed: "We are not going to win in November with this president."
Amid backlash over the op-ed, Clooney has faced divorce rumors with wife Amal.
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While Clooney continues to face backlash over the bombshell piece, he's also found himself at the center of divorce rumors.
As Clooney takes the stage in his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck, Amal, 47, and the couple's two children have moved to the UK for the human rights attorney's new job at Oxford University.
Insiders recently revealed the distance has made Clooney feel "insecure" about their relationship.
The source explained: "He's been concerned about his marriage and wondering if doing this play was a good move. He was a bit red-faced that he couldn't last even a month without her, but now he's more worried about how this might impact his marriage in the long run.
"This wasn't what they agreed on. Amal's got so much work on right now, and most of it is in Europe.
"She was missing him, but she's not happy about having to move around him."
