George Clooney

Weeks after co-hosting a record fundraiser for Joe Biden, Clooney published an opinion article calling for the president to withdraw from the 2024 race, arguing that his condition at the fundraiser reflected concerns raised during the debate. The intervention significantly increased public pressure within the Democratic Party and prompted criticism of a celebrity donor's role in the political process.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Following Donald Trump's victory in 2024, Clooney said he did not regret pushing Biden to withdraw but considered it a mistake to directly install Kamala Harris without a competitive primary, arguing that she had been forced to campaign against the record of the administration in which she served as Vice-President.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

A Channel 4 investigation filmed children working on Guatemalan farms identified as supplying Nespresso. Clooney, the brand's long-standing ambassador and a member of a sustainability-related advisory board, expressed surprise and sadness and called on the company to strengthen its checks.

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Clooney called for a boycott of nine hotels linked to the Sultan of Brunei after Sharia provisions came into force prescribing the death penalty for certain homosexual acts, among other offences. Other celebrities and companies supported his initiative.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

The Daily Mail published an article claiming that Amal Alamuddin's mother opposed her marriage to Clooney for religious reasons. Clooney condemned the story as false and dangerous; the newspaper withdrew the article and apologised, but Clooney rejected the apology, accusing the publication of knowingly spreading a fabrication.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Clooney, his father and several elected officials and activists were arrested after refusing to leave the vicinity of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington despite repeated police warnings. They were protesting the obstruction of humanitarian aid and the Sudanese government's policies.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Clooney supported the Satellite Sentinel Project, using satellite imagery to document possible violence in Sudan. In 2011, the project announced images it considered consistent with mass graves near Kadugli, but US officials said they could not confirm that conclusion from the available information.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Following a motorcycle accident in New Jersey, dozens of employees at the hospital where Clooney was treated were suspended for accessing his medical records without authorisation. The case became a prominent example of celebrity health data confidentiality.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Protagonist is the victim

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist is the victim