George Clooney has spent decades being the most famous man in the room. But these days, he’s mostly just the guy who can’t understand what his kids are saying at the dinner table.
If you're looking for George Clooney's twins today, you won't find them at a glitzy premiere in Los Angeles or caught in a grainy paparazzi shot outside a Malibu Nobu. They are effectively "ghosts" in the Hollywood system, and that is exactly how George and Amal planned it.
As of early 2026, Alexander and Ella Clooney are eight years old. They aren't just growing up; they are transforming into little polyglots with a French zip code and a penchant for mocking their father in languages he hasn't mastered.
The Clooneys have made a massive, life-altering shift. They didn't just move; they changed their entire legal identity.
The big 2026 update: French citizenship and a farm life
In late December 2025, a naturalization decree was published in France’s Journal Officiel. It wasn't just a headline; it was a legal reality. George, Amal, and the twins are now officially French citizens.
This wasn't some honorary title given to a movie star. The family has fully committed to their 180-hectare estate, Domaine du Canadel, in Brignoles. It’s in the heart of Provence, a world away from the "culture of Hollywood" that George admitted kept him up at night.
"I was worried about raising our kids in L.A.," George told Esquire recently. He was blunt about it. He didn't want them being compared to other "famous kids." He didn't want them looking over their shoulders for cameras.
In France, the laws are different.
They’re strict.
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Photographers cannot target minors. There are no long lenses peeking through the school gates. For a man who has lived under a microscope since the nineties, this isn't just a preference—it's a sanctuary.
Living the "normal" life in Brignoles
What does George Clooney's twins today actually look like? It looks surprisingly... rural.
George has traded the director’s chair for a tractor. No, seriously. He’s been seen driving one on their estate. The twins are growing up with lavender fields and vineyards instead of soundstages.
- No iPads at the table: George is old-school. He’s mentioned that the kids don't spend their lives glued to screens.
- Adult conversations: Alexander and Ella have dinner with the grown-ups.
- The dish rule: They have to carry their own plates to the kitchen.
It sounds mundane, but for the children of a man worth half a billion dollars, these boundaries are a deliberate attempt to keep them grounded. George often jokes that he hated farm life growing up in Kentucky, but now he sees it as the ultimate gift for his children.
The "terrible mistake" of multilingualism
George and Amal have armed their children with weapons they can't defend themselves against: Italian and French.
Amal is fluent. The twins are fluent. George? Not so much. He’s joked on multiple occasions, including at the 2026 Golden Globes, that he is the "least smart" person in his house.
He’s taken over 400 days of French lessons and still describes his skills as "horrible."
Imagine the scene: You’re an Oscar winner, a global icon, and your eight-year-olds are whispering about you in Italian right in front of your face. "I sit there like an idiot," George told Jimmy Hill on The Capital Evening Show.
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The twins use their language skills to bypass his authority. It’s a sophisticated form of rebellion that most parents don't have to deal with. Alexander and Ella speak English, French, and Italian fluently. They have lived in the UK, Italy, and now France, giving them a global perspective before they've even hit double digits.
Personalities: The prankster and the rule-follower
Despite being twins, they couldn't be more different.
George has described Alexander as a chip off the old block—at least when it comes to humor. He’s a prankster. He’s the one banging on the bedroom door at 8:00 AM announcing himself like a tiny diplomat.
Ella, on the other hand, was described by George in earlier years as "elegant and dainty," looking very much like her mother. But don't let the poise fool you. While she started out as the serious one who made sure everyone played by the rules, she has apparently joined her brother in the "dark side" of pranking.
They’ve both become fans of Hamilton. George recently shared that he drives them around in a van while they belt out the lyrics. He found it a bit "off-putting" to hear eight-year-olds singing some of the more intense lyrics from the Broadway hit, but hey, that's modern parenting.
Why they chose France over Lake Como or London
People always ask: why not the villa in Italy? Or the mansion in England?
Italy is beautiful, but it's a tourist magnet. England is home, but the UK press is relentless. France offered a specific "art of living" that appealed to Amal’s sensibilities and George’s desire for privacy.
The move has caused a bit of a stir in French politics, though. Some officials have criticized the "double standard" of granting citizenship to a wealthy movie star who struggles with the language, while other immigrants face much tougher hurdles.
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But the French government defended the move. They pointed to the couple’s "distinguished actions" and their contribution to France’s international influence.
George hasn't completely abandoned Los Angeles, though. He still keeps an apartment there. He just doesn't want it to be the place that shapes his children's souls. He’s seen what happens to "Hollywood kids," and he wants no part of it.
Lessons from the Clooney parenting playbook
If there’s anything we can learn from George Clooney's twins today, it’s that privacy is a choice you have to fight for.
You don't end up with "normal" kids by accident when you're that famous. You do it by:
- Setting hard boundaries with the media. They have never sold a "first photo" or allowed a reality crew into their home.
- Prioritizing language and culture. They aren't just learning French; they are becoming French.
- Physical distance. Moving 6,000 miles away from the "industry" is the ultimate way to ensure your kids don't think life revolves around IMDb scores.
George and Amal are navigating a very weird life with a surprising amount of grace. They’ve accepted that they will be the "uncool" parents who don't understand the dinner table chatter, provided it means their kids get a "fair shake" at a real life.
If you’re looking to protect your own family’s privacy or considering a lifestyle shift, take a page from the Clooneys: identify the "culture" that’s draining you and don't be afraid to move toward one that actually fits your values. Even if it means driving a tractor.
To stay updated on how high-profile families manage privacy in the digital age, keep an eye on international privacy law developments, particularly in the EU, which continues to set the standard for protecting minors' identities online and in print.