EXCLUSIVE: George Clooney's Love and Loss — Hollywood Star Had 'Nothing But Bad Memories' From Tumultuous First Marriage Before Tying the Knot With Amal
George Clooney was married to Talia Balsam years before meeting Amal.
May 5 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
George Clooney struggled with the idea of getting married again after his failed relationship with his first wife, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Gravity star, 64, tied the knot with actress Talia Balsam in 1989, but the pair called it quits in 1993 after only four years.
George Clooney 'Was Responsible' for Divorce
George Clooney said he wasn't ready to be in a marriage the first time around.
Clooney, who was around 28 years old when he married Balsam, later admitted that he "wasn't someone who should have been married at that point," in a 1996 interview with Vanity Fair.
"I just don't feel like I gave Talia a fair shot," he explained. "I was responsible for the failure of that marriage."
Regardless of who was at fault, it seemingly left the actor with a bad taste in his mouth when it came to saying "I do" again in the future.
'Nothing But Bad Memories'
George Clooney's family and friends hoped he'd remarry one day, according to a source.
"George has nothing but bad memories about marriage, which he’s always sworn is just a piece of paper," an insider spilled to Radar in resurfaced quotes prior to his wedding to his current wife, Amal.
"His family and friends have been bugging him for years to settle down and get hitched, because they think it’s the key to his finally finding happiness," added the insider. "On top of that, Amal is a charming lady who’s great for George, and she’s a huge hit with his family and friends."
Sparks Flew Between George and Amal
George and Amal Clooney have been married since 2014.
George and Amal met in 2013 through a mutual friends and they started dating within months. The following year, the Jay Kelly decided to make it official and asked her to marry him.
While George had "cold feet" before saying "I do" for the second time, according to the insider, the happy couple's wedding bells rang on September 27, 2014.
Three years later, their family expanded when they welcomed twins, Alexander and Ella.
George Claims He Never Argues With Amal
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George Clooney said he knew 'fairly quickly' Amal was the one.
Back in 2015, George reflected on the early days of his relationship with Amal, and admitted that he knew "fairly quickly" that he wanted to "spend the rest" of his life with the human rights activist.
"When I asked her we had never talked about it," he pointed out on CBS Mornings. "There wasn’t like ‘Maybe we should get married.’ I dropped it on her!"
Despite being married for over 10 years now, George admitted they still haven't ever had any major disagreements.
"Well, when you're younger, you want to be right about everything, you know. 'Don't paint that color on the wall,'" he told CBS News' Seth Doane last November. "We've never had a fight. We never had an argument. And some of it is because I'm at this point in life where if she wants to paint the wall red, I don't care."
"You get to a point in life where you just go, 'Why would that be a discussion or an argument?'" he continued. "We have a really amazing relationship because we're also so supportive of each other that it's like, I don't care."
