First came Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, when they decided to settle in Château Miraval: they got married in the castle's chapel in 2014 and bottled their own rosé before the highly publicized breakup. Then came George Lucas in 2017, when he acquired Château Margüi, created the Skywalker vineyards, and produced up to 100,000 bottles of wine per year.
George and Amal Clooney also have vineyards and extensive fields of lavender (and a monumental pool) on their 180-hectare estate in Canadel, acquired for around eight million euros in 2021. We are in Brignoles, the heart of Provence, a stone's throw from Cannes and Saint-Tropez, but far enough from the French Riviera to lead a relaxed life away from the spotlight.
That is the reason cited by the couple to request French citizenship, instead of settling in Lake Como or England, where they have two other properties: "In France is where we feel best and where our children will be most protected from paparazzi, far from the Hollywood culture."
George Clooney (64 years old) and Amal (47) have been living a "normal" life in Brignoles with their eight-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander (they sold their property in Los Angeles, although they still have an apartment in New York). Pierre Lery, director of Cinema Liberté in Brignoles, still remembers when he suddenly saw the actor at the opening of the theater in 2024. "We have been friends since then, I often have dinner with them, and we can only be happy with their arrival," he recently confessed to Le Figaro.
"They wanted to settle in a Provençal estate where the family would be less exposed," presumes Mayor Didier Brémond. "I think they are attracted to French culture and the art of living. They have lived in Italy for a long time and yet have not applied for Italian citizenship."
Mayor Brémond recalls how Brignoles became a declining town after the closure of the mines and how about 20 years ago it began to attract a new wave of residents, drawn by the beauty of its landscapes (next to the Sainte-Baume natural park) and the proverbial Provençal calm.
Just as they did years ago in Como, after the floods in northern Italy, George and Amal Clooney were quick to donate 20,000 euros shortly after arriving in Brignoles to also address the damage caused by torrential rains in the peaceful city of 20,000 inhabitants. The generous donation helped temporarily accommodate several families for six months.
Sightings of the couple are relatively frequent, sometimes impromptu and other times more or less calculated, like when the actor dropped by the local McDonald's in 2024 and agreed to take photos with the employees. Almost everyone who has met him highlights his "simplicity" and "kindness", despite having trouble expressing himself in French.
"I love French culture and the language, even though I am still bad at speaking it after 400 days of classes," Clooney admitted to RTL -in English- just a few days ago. His wife and lawyer, of British and Lebanese nationality, however, speaks French fluently.
The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Núñez, celebrated the couple's decision to request and obtain French citizenship, but the news has sparked a notable controversy over the "double standard" regarding immigration. The criticism has come precisely from a high-ranking Interior official, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne.
"I think we need to pay attention to the message being sent," Vedrenne warned. "To be naturalized (according to the rules that came into effect on January 1), one must be able to speak French. This is a matter of justice that is absolutely essential."
From across the Atlantic, Donald Trump has reignited the war of words against the Democratic actor. "Good news: George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political forecasters of all time, have officially become French citizens."
In his comments on Truth Social, Trump referred to Clooney as a "second-rate actor" and claimed that he has achieved "more publicity for his politics than for his few and completely mediocre movies." "He has not been a star at all, but a regular guy who has constantly complained about common-sense policies," added the American president.
Trump was directly referring to the recent interview with Clooney in Hollywood Reporter where the actor responded about his predictions for this year's congressional and senate elections: "I totally agree with the president, we are going to make America great again. We will start in November."
The showdown between the two dates back to the presidential campaign and the Broadway premiere of Good Night, and Good Luck, where the actor portrayed presenter Edward Murrow. "Truth and journalistic integrity stand up to the fear of misinformation," Clooney once declared.
"I don't care if Trump calls me a second-rate actor," the six-time Oscar-winning actor (best supporting actor in Syriana and co-producer of Argo) replied in recent days. "My job is not to please the president of the United States. My job is to tell the truth when I can and have the opportunity."