George Clooney and his family have officially become French citizens, according to a naturalization notice published in the December 27, 2025 edition of the Journal Officiel de la République Française. The actor, his wife Amal Alamuddin, and their twins Alexander and Ella were all included in the announcement.
The Hollywood star’s decision to embrace French nationality comes after several years of maintaining a primary residence in the European country, where the family owns a farm. In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, Clooney explained his motivation for raising his children away from Hollywood.
“I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood. I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life,” Clooney 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.”
Dual Citizenship Status
The Clooneys’ French naturalization doesn’t mean they’re giving up their American citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of State, Americans can become citizens of other countries without risking their U.S. nationality. The government confirms that “a U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to their U.S. citizenship.”
What many Americans don’t realize is that U.S. law doesn’t require permission to acquire foreign citizenship. The State Department states that American law “does not impede its citizens’ acquisition of foreign citizenship whether by birth, descent, naturalization or other form of acquisition by imposing requirements of permission from U.S. courts or any governmental agency.”
France, for its part, has no issue with dual nationality. The country allows citizens to maintain multiple citizenships simultaneously.
Political Context
The timing of the Clooneys’ naturalization comes amid increasing political debate about dual citizenship in the United States. Just weeks ago, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced legislation that would force Americans to choose between U.S. citizenship and foreign nationalities. However, this bill has not been passed into law and currently has no legal effect on dual citizens.
Could the political climate be driving more Americans to seek second passports? While no official government records track Americans with dual citizenship, industry estimates suggest that about 4,000 of roughly 10,000 global second passport applications in recent years came from Americans.
The Washington Post recently reported that between 5,000 and 6,000 Americans living abroad renounce their U.S. citizenship annually. While tax complications and logistical issues remain the primary motivations, politics is increasingly cited as a factor.
Legal Implications
For those concerned about the legality of the Clooneys’ decision, U.S. law is clear: citizens don’t automatically lose their nationality by acquiring foreign citizenship. Only specific “expatriating acts” performed with intent to relinquish citizenship can lead to its loss—such as formal renunciation or taking an oath of allegiance to a foreign state with the intention of giving up U.S. citizenship.
There’s no indication that Clooney or his family have taken any such steps. Rather, their naturalization appears to be a practical extension of their lifestyle choice to make France their primary home while maintaining ties to the United States.
For the Clooneys, it seems the French countryside offers something Hollywood cannot—privacy and normalcy for their children, along with the benefits of European citizenship, all while keeping their American passports tucked safely away.
