George Clooney is adamant he is isn’t “abandoning” Los Angeles since being granted French citizenship.
George Clooney still owns a home in Los Angeles despite living full-time in France
The former E.R. star lived in the Californian city for decades after moving there from his native Kentucky to pursue a career in Hollywood but he recently sold the LA home he has owned since 1995 and is now living full-time in France with his wife Amal and their eight-year-old twins.
Despite now holding a French passport, Clooney has retained a “big apartment” in California so he can return regularly. When asked by the Los Angeles Times if he is “abandoning” the city, Clooney replied: “No!”
He added of selling his longtime home in the Studio City area: “I’ve been there in that house for 30 years, and it was time to move.
“We got a place about four years ago in France, and we spent a good amount of time there, enjoying it. There’s an anonymity living there.
“That’s good for the kids. But L.A.’s still a big part of home for me too because it’s where I found success. It’s where I made all my friends. I know every back street. I know all the shortcuts.”
Clooney went on to add: “When I first moved there in 1990 from Hollywood, the big knock was, ‘Oh, ***, you moved to the Valley. You sold out.’
“And now the Valley’s really happening. I loved being in Studio City. They’re two or three of the best sushi bars in the world – literally, the world …
“I liked Studio City a lot, but listen, I liked Hollywood too. I lived there in the ‘80s when it was gritty, but it was fun. Melrose Avenue was crazy. It was all punk rockers. It’s changed, but there’s still a little energy to it.”
Along with their French properties, George and Amal also own an estate on Italy’s Lake Como, a manor house in England, a New York apartment and a property in Kentucky.
George recently revealed he was “worried” about raising children in Los Angeles and was happy with their family life on a farm in France.
He told Esquire: “We’re very lucky. You know, we live on a farm in France. A good portion of my life growing up was on a farm, and as a kid I hated the whole idea of it.
“But now, for them, it’s like – they’re not on their iPads, you know? They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in.
“They have a much better life. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life [in Los Angeles]. France – they kind of don’t give a s*** about fame.
“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.”
