UPDATED, Friday 11:10 a.m.: The Hello! Group has issued a response to Clooney’s statement, saying it’s “dismayed” by Clooney’s claim. Read their full statement below.
“Hello! Magazine and the Hello! Group are very dismayed by Mr George Clooney´s statement that an interview with him that was published by the Hello! Group is not authentic. The Hello! Group bought the interview in good faith from a respectable independent agent, Famous, with whom it has dealt for many years and the agency and its writer were both credited at the end of the article in Hello! Magazine as is customary. Purchase was on the unquestionable understanding that the interview and material were correct and accurate in all respects.
In the meantime, the Hello! Group can only express its deepest respect for both Mr Clooney and his wife, Amal, and its sincere commitment to respectable and accurate journalism.”
Previously…
Hello! magazine has been putting words in George Clooney‘s mouth, the actor claims in a blistering statement issued Friday.
Clooney blasted Hello! for publishing a “completely fabricated” interview with the actor, who added that the interview was picked up by outlets including Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, the Sun and the Evening Standard.
“The problem is that I have not given an interview to Hello Magazine and the quotes attributed to me are not accurate,” Clooney said. “In my experience, being misquoted is not unusual but to have an ‘exclusive interview’ completely fabricated is something new. And a very disturbing trend.”
Clooney is presumably referring to an article published March 30 but since pulled from Hello’s website. The article, titled “George Clooney Reveals Wife Amal Clooney’s Most Attractive Feature,” quoted Clooney as saying, “Everything about [Amal] attracted me to her. The thing which really impressed me the most about her was how incredibly smart she is, and I’ve never had so many great discussions as I’ve had with her.”
The actor supposedly added, “She’s also beautiful and elegant and someone I knew I wanted to spend my life with.”