Phones go in a special ‘basket’

Amal Clooney opened up about the values that guide her private life, from marriage and motherhood to maintaining privacy in a hyper-connected world. The international human rights lawyer shared personal anecdotes about her marriage to George Clooney, raising their twins, and her mission to protect family time.

Speaking with friend and makeup mogul Charlotte Tilbury for Glamour, Amal reflected on being used to public attention and emphasized just how sacred their family life is. “Creating private moments and spaces is becoming increasingly difficult. But that’s also why we entertain a lot at home,” she said. 

“I now have a phone basket that I use to take everyone’s phones away!” she revealed during the interview when talking about the guests that come into her home.

© Karwai Tang

The Clooneys, who tied the knot in Italy in 2014, became parents to twins Ella and Alexander in 2017. Nearly eight years later, they remain protective of their children’s privacy. “We don’t put our children out there, we’ve never put their photo out there or anything like that,” Amal said, adding that “becoming a parent means you’re more troubled by some of the intrusions.”

© Gilbert Carrasquillo

Despite the spotlight, the couple has mastered balancing their high-profile careers with hands-on parenting. “In marriage, and now with the kids, you give away the selfishness of only looking out for yourself,” George previously told People. “Amal and I talk about it every day. We feel so lucky.”

© Alessandro Levati

In the Glamour conversation, Amal didn’t hold back about what George means to her. “I have a partner in life who is so supportive of what I do. So I don’t feel like I have to apologize for it or rein it in,” she said. 

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“And I remember when I became a mom, which was obviously a new frontier, he was the first one to say, ‘I know you’ve got this speech at the Security Council. You have to go, I’ve got the kids, don’t worry about it.’ I feel so incredibly lucky to share every day with him. And now we’re four. And I don’t take any of it for granted. I treasure the laughter and the joy that I get from just being with them,” Amal explained.