George Clooney has joined J.K. Rowling in the club of celebrities angered by a Daily Mail report. After coming up with a fabricated story on fiancee Amal Alamuddin’s mother, Clooney ripped the tabloid and, hours later, got an apology.
As previously reported, Clooney took the rare step to call out the Daily Mail in a USA Today op-ed. The story claimed that Alamuddin’s mother does not approve of her daughter marrying the Oscar winner on religious grounds.
While the Mail did remove the story, that was understandably not enough for the Monuments Men star. In addition to being completely false, Clooney took the time to make a larger statement on tabloid culture. He even slammed other news organizations for picking up the story.
“The irresponsibility, in this day and age, to exploit religious differences where none exist, is at the very least negligent and more appropriately dangerous,” Clooney wrote. “We have family members all over the world, and the idea that someone would inflame any part of that world for the sole reason of selling papers should be criminal.”
In a statement to USA Today hours later, the Mail said that it is launching a “full investigation” into the incident.
“However, we accept Mr. Clooney's assurance that the story is inaccurate and we apologise to him, Miss Amal Alamuddin and her mother, Baria, for any distress caused,” the statement read.
Clooney is the latest celebrity to go after the Mail for a false report. Rowling sued them for libel when it incorrectly interpreted an essay she wrote and later agreed to a settlement with the author.
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