George Clooney admitted in October 2025 that he got “barely-walking drunk” after losing at the Tony Awards. Within weeks, tabloid outlets began publishing reports that his wife Amal had issued an ultimatum about his alcohol use. But there’s a problem with the story: every claim about Amal’s reaction comes from anonymous sources, while the couple continues appearing together at public events.
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What George Actually Said
The 64-year-old actor sat down with Esquire magazine for an interview published October 6, 2025. He discussed his six-month Broadway run in “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which ended in June after earning five Tony nominations but zero wins.
During those six months, Clooney abstained from drinking almost entirely. He compared the commitment to athletic training, noting that alcohol affects vocal performance and sleep quality. After the final show and the Tony Awards ceremony on June 8, he broke his sobriety in spectacular fashion.
“I got blasted,” Clooney told Esquire. “Barely-walking drunk, you know? Came home with Amal, and I was just laughing. We’re lying in bed, and I go, ‘Well, I caught up for all my abstinence in one night.’ I was sick all day the next day. I was like high school drunk. Like dumbass drunk.”
The actor presented this as a humorous anecdote. Esquire published the full interview without any mention of marital tension or concerns from his wife.
The Tabloid Version
Three weeks after the Esquire interview dropped, Radar Online published a story citing unnamed “sources close to the couple” who claimed Amal was furious about the drinking confession.
According to these anonymous insiders, the human rights attorney sees her husband’s behavior as a dangerous return to old habits. The sources told Radar Online that Amal has “drawn a firm line” and won’t tolerate regular drinking.
Other outlets picked up the story from there. The News International, IBTimes UK, and Globe Magazine all published similar reports in late October and November 2025. Each article cited the same anonymous sources or simply referenced the original Radar Online piece.
What the anonymous sources claim:
- Amal is “deeply upset” by George’s public bragging about getting drunk
- She views this as a “slippery slope” back to his party days with Brad Pitt
- She has warned him this could destroy their marriage
- She convinced him to quit drinking after a 2020 health scare
The couple has not commented on any of these reports.
The Health Background
George was hospitalized in December 2020 with pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that causes severe abdominal pain. He had lost nearly 30 pounds in a short period for his role in “The Midnight Sky.”
“I think I was trying too hard to lose the weight quickly and probably wasn’t taking care of myself,” he told The Mirror at the time. Pancreatitis can result from rapid weight loss, though alcohol use and other factors can also trigger the condition.
Some tabloid reports incorrectly dated this hospitalization to 2021, but Clooney confirmed the December 2020 timeline in interviews promoting the film’s December 23, 2020 release.
What the Couple Actually Says
While anonymous sources describe marital crisis, George and Amal have made only positive public statements about their relationship throughout 2025.
In February 2025, George told The New York Times he initially worried their 17-year age gap would be a barrier. “I didn’t really think I’d have much of a chance with her because I was 17 years older and she seemed to have everything she needed,” he said.
Two months later on CBS Mornings, he claimed they’ve never had an argument in their decade of marriage. “We’re still trying to find something to fight about,” he said in April 2025.
At the Tony Awards in June 2025, just hours after the drinking incident in question, George told People magazine that Amal was thrilled he’d returned to his natural grey hair after dyeing it black for the Broadway role. The couple walked the red carpet together, appearing affectionate in photos and video.
In November 2025, five months after the alleged drinking crisis, George discussed their co-parenting approach at the “Jay Kelly” premiere. “You try to pace it so that I’m doing it then she’s home and then she leaves, and I’m at home,” he explained. “We try to mix it up a bit.”
The Divorce Rumor Cycle
This isn’t the first time in 2025 that tabloids predicted the end of the Clooney marriage. In March, outlets reported the couple was on a “trial separation” while George performed in New York and Amal taught at Oxford University. Those rumors disappeared after their June appearance at the Tony Awards.
Each wave of speculation has followed the same format: anonymous sources claim trouble, the couple makes no comment, they appear together publicly, and the story fades until the next round begins.
Where Things Stand
As of February 2026, George and Amal Clooney remain married. They continue making joint public appearances and George continues speaking positively about his wife in interviews. Neither has addressed the drinking rumors directly.
The story of Amal being upset over George’s drinking habits rests entirely on tabloid reports using unnamed sources. The only confirmed facts are what George told Esquire about getting drunk after the Tony Awards and his decade of public statements praising his marriage.
Without a comment from the couple, their representatives, or anyone willing to speak on the record, the question remains: is this a real marital crisis or just another round of tabloid speculation about one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized couples?
