France grants citizenship to George and Amal Clooney and their twins Ella and Alexander

PARIS (AP) – Call them Monsieur and Madame Clooney.

France’s government says that George Clooney, his wife Amal and their twins Ella and Alexander have been awarded French citizenship.

The naturalizations of the Kentucky-born star of the “Ocean’s” series of heist movies and his family were announced last weekend in the Journal Officiel, where French government decrees are published.

The government notice indicated that human rights lawyer Amal Clooney was naturalized under her maiden name, Amal Alamuddin. It also noted that George Clooney’s middle name is Timothy.

The couple purchased an estate in France in 2021. In an interview with Esquire in October, Clooney described their “farm in France” as their primary residence – a decision the 64-year-old actor and his 47-year-old wife made with their children in mind.

“I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood,” he told the magazine. “I don’t want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don’t want them being compared to somebody else’s famous kids.”

Growing up away from the spotlight in France, “they’re not on their iPads, you know?” he said. “They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life.”

Representatives for George Clooney did not respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment Monday. It wasn’t clear whether he retained his American citizenship. Amal Clooney was born in Lebanon and raised in the U.K. The 8-year-old twins were born in London.

The French government’s Interior Ministry did not explain why the Clooneys were entitled to French citizenship but said in a statement to the AP that the couple “followed a rigorous procedure” with security checks and interviews required as part of the naturalization process.

Non-French residents of France have multiple possible routes to becoming naturalized, including if they are deemed to have abilities and talents that would enable them to render what the government describes as “important services to France.”

In recent media interviews when he was promoting “Jay Kelly,” Clooney said that he is trying to teach himself French using a language-learning app but that it remains “horrible, horrible.” He said that his wife and children speak the language perfectly.

“They speak French in front of me so that they can say terrible things about me to my face and I don’t know,” he joked, speaking to French broadcaster Canal+.

French media have reported that the Clooneys live part-time in their luxury 18th-century villa outside the town of Brignoles in southern France, where they can keep a lower profile and their children are protected from unauthorized photographs by French privacy laws.

Brignoles Mayor Didier Brémond told broadcaster BFMTV on Tuesday that the Clooneys are “a very simple and very accessible family” and noted that the actor shops in town and attended the opening of its cinema. Their decision to become French citizens testified to “his love for our country,” the mayor said.

“Here, he wants to live normally and that’s what he is trying to do,” he said.