Liberal actor George Clooney blasted ABC and CBS for settling lawsuits brought by President Donald Trump, arguing the networks should have resisted rather than agreeing to multimillion dollar payouts.
Clooney made the remarks during a lengthy interview with Variety, where he discussed his concerns about the state of the press, politics and his own life outside the United States.
Clooney reacted to reports that both CBS and ABC paid at least $16 million each to resolve legal disputes with Trump.
The actor said the decisions reflected a broader failure by major media companies to stand their ground.
šØ Longtime Democrat George Clooney and his family have reportedly left the U.S., relocating to France and obtaining French citizenship.
Funny how this comes after he claimed MAGA would disappear once Trump left office, so why is he the one leaving America? pic.twitter.com/ohnW1HArvC
— Digital Gal (@DigitalGalX) December 30, 2025
“If CBS and ABC had challenged those lawsuits and said, āGo f— yourself,ā we wouldnāt be where we are in the country,” Clooney said.
He described the current political and media environment as difficult and emotionally draining.
“Itās a very trying time,” Clooney stated. “It can depress you or make you very angry. But you have to find the most positive way through it.”
Fuck George Clooney and if I knew how to say it in French I would.
He helps destroy our country and now he's going to dip!
Fuck him again. pic.twitter.com/I0AJBFF147
— Leaundra Ross šŖ·šššā¾ļø (@LeaundraRoss) December 30, 2025
“You have to put your head down and keep moving forward because quitting isnāt an option.”
CBS and its parent company Paramount Global agreed in July to pay a $16 million upfront settlement tied to Trumpās lawsuit over a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with then Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Thatās hilarious. George Clooney is so patriotic he moved to France and became a French citizen. And he says his wife does work for the Muslim Brotherhood. pic.twitter.com/IH6TiVFXys
— mg81992 š¦š®š±šļøšŗš¦š» (@mg81992) December 30, 2025
Trumpās legal team alleged the program selectively edited Harrisā response to a question about Israel, claiming the broadcast interfered with the election. The lawsuit originally sought $10 billion before the settlement was reached.
Trumpās legal representatives described the agreement as a victory for media accountability and for the public.
Around the same time, the Trump administrationās Federal Communications Commission approved an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, placing David Ellison at the helm of the newly combined company.
Ellison later selected journalist Bari Weiss to lead CBS News, a move Clooney sharply criticized during the interview.
“Bari Weiss is dismantling CBS News as we speak,” Clooney noted. “Iām worried about how we inform ourselves and how weāre going to discern reality without a functioning press.”
Weiss responded to the interview by inviting the actor to visit the CBS newsroom.
“Bonjour, Mr. Clooney! Big fan of your work. It sounds like youād like to learn more about ours. This is an open invitation to visit The CBS Broadcast Center, where Iām spending the holidays working to relaunch the Evening News with my colleagues. Tune in January 5,” Weiss shot back in a statement shared to Variety by Paramount Skydance.
ABC also reached a settlement with Trump last December after he sued the network for defamation.
The lawsuit stemmed from comments made on “This Week” by anchor George Stephanopoulos, who said on air that Trump had been found “liable for rape.”
A jury in the E. Jean Carroll civil case had instead ruled Trump liable for sexual abuse. ABC issued an apology and agreed to a $16 million settlement.
During the Variety interview, Clooney also reflected on his past interactions with Trump, describing a time when the two had a friendly relationship.
“I knew him very well,” Clooney noted about Trump.
“He used to call me a lot, and he tried to help me get into a hospital once to see a back surgeon. Iād see him out at clubs and at restaurants,” he continued. “Heās a big goofball. Well, he was. That all changed.”
Clooney has been vocal about politics for years and drew attention in 2024 when he publicly urged then President Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee following Bidenās debate performance against Trump.
The actor has since continued to comment on political developments while spending more time outside the United States.
Clooney and his wife, international human rights attorney Amal Alamuddin Clooney, recently obtained French citizenship, which was reportedly fast-tracked.
Friends: We let George Clooney down.
He's moved to France! It all just got to be too much! He had to get his kids out of LA! And for George Clooney, itās either LAāor FRANCE!
As in his politics, the rest of the country is utterly beneath notice, beneath contempt.
Le sigh! pic.twitter.com/U59W0mwuV5
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) December 31, 2025
Government records show that Clooney, Amal and their twins Alexander and Ella were granted citizenship after the family declared their French farm as their primary residence.
Clooney has cited frustration with paparazzi and constant media scrutiny in the U.S. as reasons for the move.
Although he now holds French citizenship, Clooney retains his U.S. citizenship and divides his time between France, England and Kentucky.
He has repeatedly voiced dissatisfaction with Hollywood culture, arguing it created challenges for raising his children.
During an October interview with Esquire, Clooney said his children have a better quality of life abroad.
āThey have a much better life,ā Clooney remarked, referring to his familyās routine in France.
āI 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. France they kind of donāt give a shit about fame,ā he said.
āI donāt want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I donāt want them being compared to somebody elseās famous kids.ā
In addition to discussing politics and media, Clooney shared updates on his acting career, including progress on the long anticipated sequel “Oceanās 14.”
The film reunites Clooney with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia under the direction of Steven Soderbergh.
Clooney said the new installment will acknowledge the passage of time since the franchise began in 2001.
George Clooney confirmed in a recent interview that Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts are all returning for the upcoming sequel, tentatively referred to as Ocean's 14.
The film, inspired by the 1979 comedy Going in Style about aging criminals pulling one lastā¦ pic.twitter.com/yhNI9kduGn
— John Luke (@yesknow) December 31, 2025
“There was something about the idea that weāre too old to do what we used to do, but weāre still smart enough to know how to get away with something, that just appeals to me,” he commented.
He added that the characters have aged along with the actors.Ā “Theyāve lost a step,” the actor pointed out. “And they need to find a way to work around their limitations.”
Clooney said the creative inspiration came in part from the 1979 comedy “Going in Style,” which focused on older criminals navigating one last job.
He noted that the production team is currently scouting locations and hopes to begin filming in October 2026.