It was sometime in early 2014 that Amal Clooney and George Clooney met. For George, it was basically love at first sight. Hollywood’s most renowned bachelor would be no longer, he knew. Though Amal took a bit more time deciding that George was the one for her, the pair have now been happily married for nearly 10 years. Unfortunately, Amal has been subject to harsh criticism online, not about her career or any of her credentials, but her appearance. Despite it all, the human rights lawyer handles it all with grace and dignity.
Amal Clooney Handles Criticism With Grace
Everyone has been following the love story of George and Amal Clooney since it began in 2014. By the time they got engaged in April of 2014, Amal had already been a successful international human rights lawyer for several years. Her clients have included Julian Assange and former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed. She’s also worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and made headlines when she represented the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko in court. She is undeniably an intelligent, powerful woman.
Of course, being linked to a Hollywood A-lister means you are thrust into a different kind of limelight than you are as a successful lawyer. And while George Clooney is certainly used to the spotlight, Amal is not. Understandably, she might be uncomfortable being in the public eye and dealing with all of the attention that comes along with marrying one of Hollywood’s most famous actors. But she doesn’t let it show—instead, she handles criticism gracefully.
The Critics Keep Coming
Amal is an incredibly successful attorney. As her husband is quick to point out any chance he gets, she is also kind, caring, an amazing mother, funny, incredibly beautiful, and has a great sense of style. But being married to George has put them under a microscope—and not just by the media. Amal has faced her share of sexism since becoming one-half of Hollywood’s most famous couple.
Social media trolls continue to attack her on Twitter and other platforms. In 2015, in response to an article by Elle magazine titles “54 Times Amal Clooney Looked Just Stunning”, a Twitter user responsed: “She’s lovely but she has sticky icky skinny legs,ugly shapeless sticks”. On a separate occasion, another user wrote: “I am completely baffled at the fact that when George Clooney finally decides to settle down he picks Amal Clooney who looks like an ugly man”. (1, 2, 3)
And what did her husband George have to say to all of this? Only that he is still, nearly 10 years later, amazed daily by his wife and falls more in love with her each day. He says he couldn’t have dreamed up a better life partner and mother to his children that her. So clearly, the man disagrees with Amal’s haters.
Sexism On Every Corner
Beyond online trolls attacking her appearance, among other things, she has faced sexism from the press in reference to her career. Despite her incredible resume, often times the Press attempt to undermine her career by calling her “an actor’s wife” instead of the decorated human rights lawyer that she is. In many instances, they are more concerned on what she is wearing than what she is working on. No matter whether she is in court defending a client or at an event, the media only seem to care what she wore and how they feel she looked in that outfit. To that, she says:
“I think all I can do is try to turn the spotlight to what is important. That can definitely benefit some clients. If I am at a work function and reporting of it focuses on irrelevant issues, there’s not much I can do about that. Since I can’t control it, my approach is just not to dwell on it and just get on with my work and my life and hope that attitudes will catch up.” (4)
Her Life With George
Of her marriage to George and parenting two kids together, Amal says she couldn’t be happier.
“Marriage has been wonderful. I have in my husband a partner who is incredibly inspirational and supportive, and we have a home filled with love and laughter,” she says. “It is a joy beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I feel so lucky to have found a great love in my life, and to be a mother—this is how I get my balance.”
It sounds like Amal has been through a lot since marrying into Hollywood royalty. On top of managing a challenging and sometimes dangerous career, she is working hard to be a hands-on mother and a supportive partner. All of this while dealing with internet trolls, sexist media, and harsh criticisms. Despite all of that, though, it sounds like she’s handling it with grace.
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