Radar exposes George Clooney’s brutal health nightmares
His absence was confirmed by the festival’s moderator, who told reporters: “I’m afraid George Clooney won’t be here because he has a serious, serious sinus infection.
“We hope he’s on the red carpet tonight.”
A source close to the actor said: “George was really devastated by the infection, and the doctors told him he had to stop completely for a few days. He was running at full speed and it eventually took its toll.
“He is resting peacefully in Venice, but it has made him realize how many health problems he has had to endure over time.”
The insider added: “He’s always been proud and hates letting anyone down, but he knows he can’t continue to govern himself the way he once did.”
The illness comes after a series of serious medical incidents that have plagued Clooney since his rise to international fame.
In 2005, during the filming of the political thriller Syrianthe actor suffered a serious back injury when a chair on set tipped backwards, rupturing the dura mater – the protective membrane surrounding the spinal cord.
It was an injury that left him bedridden and in excruciating pain for weeks.
He later said, “I was at a point where I thought, ‘I can’t exist like this. I can’t actually live.’
“I was in a hospital bed with an IV in my arm, couldn’t move and had these (feelings) where it felt like you were having a stroke.”
Friends say the trauma of the accident never fully left him.
A former colleague said: ‘That accident left a lasting impression on George. He still struggles with pain all these years later.
“He remains optimistic in public, but those who know him well understand that he has learned to live with it every day.”
Clooney’s physical recovery was followed by another near-fatal event in 2018, when he was thrown from his motorcycle while traveling to a film set in Sardinia.
He was traveling at a speed of about 120 km/h and collided with a car and was thrown into the air.
“I launched. I’m going head over heels,” he said of the incident. “Once you do it 100 times, you might be toast once you land on your hands and knees, and every other version you land.”
The impact was so severe that he initially thought all his teeth had been knocked out, but realized it was broken glass from the windshield.
Two years later, Clooney underwent surgery on his neck due to complications related to the crash.
Then in 2020, while filming his post-apocalyptic drama The midnight skyhe was hospitalized with pancreatitis after losing more than two stone for the role.
“I think I was trying too hard to lose weight quickly and probably wasn’t taking care of myself,” he said. “It took a few weeks to get better, and as a director it’s not that easy because you need energy.”
Clooney, who recently left Venice with his wife Amal, 47, is said to be focusing on his recovery before returning to work.
“He’s had more than his fair share of health problems,” the source said. “It’s taken a toll on everyone, but in typical George fashion he continues to move forward.”
