Apparently Clooney won't quit. The actor says an apology he got from the Daily Mail is basically garbage, and is he getting an A-list actress pal on board too? (Via Getty Images, Getty Images)
Friday, Clooney again spoke out to USA Today, saying he wouldn't accept the Daily Mail's apology because it is a lie.
It all started Wednesday, when the actor told USA Todayan article the Mail had published about his fiance's mother objecting to their union was made up. He said the Mail made false and dangerous claims about her religious beliefs.
The MailOnlinesaid sorry, but added, "The story was not a fabrication but supplied in good faith by a reputable and trusted freelance journalist."
And that's what Clooney takes issue with — his new statement points to reporting in the Mail from earlier this year about his future mother-in-law's religion that directly contradicts their latest story. Basically, he's saying they knew their story from this week was fabricated, they printed it anyway, and they're lying about lying.
And now, according to The Times, another A-lister is attacking the Daily Mail. The Times says Angelina Jolie is taking steps to sue the Mail for publishing a video of her taken in 1999, allegedly by her then-drug dealer.
The Times' headline is that she's following "Clooney's lead." But Clooney hasn't given any indication he'll sue the Mail, and Jolie hasn't confirmed the Times' report.
Jolie and fiance Brad Pitt are close with Clooney. Pitt and Clooney have worked together often, most notably on the "Ocean's Eleven" movies.
Anyway, it's rare, though not unheard of, for celebrities to sue tabloids.
In 2013, Tom Cruise settled a case with Bauer Publishing. Its outlets had written about him allegedly abandoning his daughter Suri after his split from Katie Holmes. (Via TMZ)
But, libel suits can be difficult in court for celebrities — they have to prove not only that the story isn't true, but that the publisher either knew it wasn't true or didn't care. And headline-making lawsuits sometimes simply feed a story more. As for the Daily Mail, it has not yet responded to...Clooney's response.
