George and Amal Clooney divorce rumours fuelled by ‘trial separation’: What's causing the rift?

Divorce rumours have been plaguing George and Amal Clooney for a while now. Committed to their own professional engagements, the couple’s marriage is believed to have been strained due to the thousands of miles between them.

George and Amal tied the knot in 2014 and share twins Ella and Alexander, 7. Amid the already mounting chatter around their purportedly strained relationship, insiders are doubling down on the claims that their long-distance relationship has put them on a “trial separation.”

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George Clooney's Broadway debut ‘testing’ marriage with Amal Clooney

Even though the Oceans star has distanced himself from Hollywood, he’s still maintaining his acting roots through the Broadway connection. According to RadarOnline’s report, the 63-year-old actor’s upcoming Broadway debut in the stage adaptation of his film Good Night and Good Luck in New York City has resulted in a rift between the couple.

“As proud as (Amal) is that he's making his Broadway dream come true, it hasn't been easy being this long away from each other and they have been drifting apart due to those irregular hours,” an insider said. “She's used to him going away for a few days at a time, so this is certainly testing their relationship.”

Amal Clooney returns to the UK while George still in NYC

Meanwhile, Amal Clooney will be returning to her alma mater, Oxford, as a professor. The Clooneys’ kids have consequently relocated to the UK with their human rights lawyer mother. George, on the other hand, is reportedly living in New York City.

Another source contended that while many may find it easy to criticise Amal “for not being by George’s side,” their kids have always been their top-most priority. They’re believed to be doing quite well in Oxfordshire. “She knows taking on this job in Oxford sets the seal on her plans to continue raising the kids in the U.K., but it may come at a price,” the insider added.

Although she’s 100% behind her husband’s big Broadway debut, their current professional entanglements have ultimately widened the physical distance between them. Nevertheless, even this jarring switch has a silver lining, as sources claim that George Clooney’s lawyer wife is particularly thrilled about his theatre transition as it removes him from the “fake” Hollywood scene.

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George Clooney and Brad Pitt's team-up for Wolfs wasn't a genuine collab?

Amal has purportedly been encouraging the Wolfs actor to “step back” from Tinseltown for some time. The insider further pressed that even though she appeared to have gotten on with people there, “she never felt comfortable or fitted in.”

Just as she boosted his morale to get on the Broadway train, Amal has been “hugely influential” in pushing him out of his ‘just an actor’ box to try his hands at other aspects, including politics and writing. As far as insider talk goes, George’s wife was “secretly pleased” that there would be no sequel to his team-up with longtime pal and collaborator, Brad Pitt.

“She wasn't happy about him teaming up with Brad (Pitt) and it didn't seem genuine for them to be buddying up when Brad's hardly in George's life any more,” the source established. On the contrary, if late 2024 reports hold truth, the Oceans costars are already set to reunite for the caper franchise's next iteration in early development: Ocean's 14.