George Clooney Facing His Fear of Fatherhood
WITH TWINS ON THE WAY, THE HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER PREPARES FOR HIS MOST IMPORTANT ROLE EVER
Ever since the news first broke that George and Amal Clooney were expecting twins, George’s buddies wasted no time giving him advice, encouragement… and, of course, some gentle ribbing. “I’m going to have to raise those kids,” his Ocean’s co-star Don Cheadle quipped to Closer at the Universal Music Group’s Grammys afterparty. “We’ll have to handle that for him!” George’s friends are as surprised as they are delighted by his impending fatherhood. And who could blame them? Until very recently, the 55-year-old star insisted he wasn’t really interested in becoming a dad. “I’ve thought about [having kids],” he mused back in 2015. “But it hasn’t been high on my list.” Falling in love with humanrights lawyer Amal, 39, changed everything. “She wanted children, and George was so in love with her that his ‘no kids’ rule went right out the window,” says an insider. “Fatherhood suddenly became a priority.”
The couple — who will celebrate three years of marriage in September — reportedly underwent IVF treatments and are expecting a boy and a girl, due in June. “Fatherhood is really in his blood,” says a close source, who explains that, like Warren Beatty, George’s biological clock started ticking very late, but very loudly. “No one thought Warren would ever settle down, let alone become a dad, but that’s exactly what he did. George is on the same path.”
And if his behavior with Amal is any indication, George should be as doting and protective a dad as they come. “He’s more nervous than she is,” says the insider. “He’s insisting she rest more, and he’s spoiling her with all of her favorite treats. Amal’s been craving pasta and risotto with white truffles lately, and George is indulging right along with her. “He feels like he’s going to gain all the weight,” laughs another source, “but he’s fine with it.”
BABY JOY
George is also playing an active role in designing the nursery. “It’s going to be muted colors — probably blues, greens and cream,” says the insider, adding, “George likes airplanes, trains and jungle animals.” But he’s giving Amal final say. And he’s letting her pick the babies’ names as well, though the source notes, “he would love to name his son Nicholas, after his father.”
Indeed, George remains extremely close to his parents, Nina and Nick, who the source says are “still pinching themselves” over this major change in their son’s life. “The only advice they’ve given him is to be present and play with the babies as much as possible.”
It’s advice that George definitely plans to take. “He sees becoming a father at his age as a gift,” the source says. “George is grateful, and he feels like he’s hit the jackpot by having twins. His life couldn’t be more perfect.”
“I think it’s the most responsible thing you can do, to have kids.”
— George