George Clooney Says It Took Amal 20 Minutes To Respond To His Marriage Proposal
George and Amal Clooney are one of the cutest couples in Hollywood. The two have been married since 2016, and Clooney often sings praises of his wife.
However, before they got married, Clooney wasn’t so sure Amal would agree to do it. In fact, it took her 20 minutes to give him a response when he proposed to her.
George Clooney realized he wanted to marry Amal during a safari adventure
Clooney and Amal had been dating for some time, but never discussed marriage. However, Clooney began to consider it after a trip to Africa.
“We never talked about marriage,” Clooney told Howard Stern. “So we’ve gone on a safari of all things, which I’d never done before, and I’d never been to any country in the continent of Africa that wasn’t tragic. And to go there and it was this beautiful thing— and she loves giraffes—and there were these giraffes standing next to her.”
Clooney knew right then and there that he wanted to marry Amal.
“I was standing behind her and she kind of looked back and she was smiling,” Clooney said. “And I looked at my buddy Benny who was with us, and I just said, ‘I’m gonna ask her to marry me.’
He went all out preparing for the proposal
Determined to make Amal his wife, Clooney began preparing for his proposal.
“And so, we got back and she had to go to London, and I prepped it all man,” Clooney said. “And I got a ring, and I’ve got it all set up, I’m ready. I’ve got my Aunt Rosemary soundtrack, and I’ve got it all timed out, so I’m going to ask her on this one song.”
Clooney even found a song just for the moment.
“We’ve never talked about marriage, so I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ Clooney said. “She might go, ‘Ah, no,’ and I’d hidden the ring. Took it out of the box, I hid it in a little drawer behind her and we’re in this tiny room. There’s a song Rosemary sang, called ‘Why Shouldn’t I,’ it’s a beautiful song. … So that’s what I’m going to ask her on. I’m really doing it up, you know.”
George Clooney’s proposal started awkwardly
The next time Clooney saw Amal, he set the proposal into motion.
“I’ve made dinner, she lands from London, she comes in, she sits down, she’s exhausted, and I’ve got candlelit and the food made and everything ready,” Clooney said. “And ‘Why Shouldn’t I’ is coming on the soundtrack, here it comes man, I’m gonna do it.”
In the midst of Clooney’s romantic gesture, Amal couldn’t connect the dots on what was happening.
“And song hits, and I said, ‘I think there’s a’—I’d blown out the candle and said, ‘I think there’s a lighter in that drawer back there,’” Clooney said. “She kind of leans back and opens the drawer, and there’s a ring in it. And she looks in, and she goes, ‘No, but there’s a ring.’ Like somebody else had left a ring there 10 years ago or something.”
Clooney had to wait 20 minutes for a response
It took a while, but Amal finally understood what Clooney was doing.
“And I’m like, making every face in the world,” Clooney said. “And I’m on my knee at this point, and then she takes it out and she’s holding it and she goes, ‘Oh my God.’ And she kept saying, ‘Oh my God,’ and I’m on my knee.”
The moment was full of suspense. Clooney had to remain on one knee for 20 minutes before Amal gave him an answer to his proposal.
“And now I know exactly how long it took for her to say yes because I know what song was playing when she said yes, and it was 20 minutes I’m on my knee,” Clooney said. “She was in shock. I’m panicking, I’m sweat down the back, and I’m thinking … Finally I said to her, ‘Look, I just need a yes or no because I’m 50-something and my hip could go out.”
