George Clooney’s neighbors say the star appears to have abandoned his £15million Oxfordshire mansion with its underwater backyard to start a new life in the sunnier climes of the south of France.
Neighbors who live near the Hollywood star in the picturesque Berkshire village on the banks of the River Thames say they have not seen George, 62, or his wife, lawyer Amal, 46, for months.
The actor’s home has been hit by Britain’s torrential rain and the back garden has flooded twice in the last 13 months with the river overflowing after one of the wettest Februarys on record.
Meanwhile, the Ocean’s Eleven star and his wife were recently photographed stepping out in milder weather in Provence and are believed to have moved with their two children to their stunning French mansion, Domaine Le Canadel, in the medieval village of Birgnoles.
George Clooney’s neighbors say the star appears to have abandoned his £15million mansion in Oxfordshire with its back garden underwater to start a new life in the south of France.
Amal was photographed earlier this month in France with her St. Bernard puppy named Nelson, a 46th birthday gift from her husband.
Back in Oxfordshire, people say they can “totally understand” their decision to move because they can’t even access their garden, which is under four feet of water.
Helen Moore, a resident, said she used to see George all the time when she first moved to the town, but not anymore.
She told MailOnline: ‘You would see him around the village with Amal and the children, but we haven’t seen them for several months. But she can’t be blamed because the weather has been terrible and the whole area has been badly affected by the flooding, especially her house.
‘If I had a place in the south of France or anywhere else a little drier, I would have gone there too. But that’s not an option for most of us.”
Wendy Boonaert, originally from South Africa but who has lived in the town for more than 20 years, said: “You can’t fault this town or its surroundings because it is so beautiful.” But the rain hasn’t helped, it has made life very difficult.
“We could also use a little more warmth so we can understand why George is gone.” There are a lot of rich and famous people living around here and I hope they come back, but right now I’m probably better off in the south of France.
With temperatures ranging between 4C and 8C this week and more wet weather on the way, locals claimed the Clooneys are unlikely to be seen anytime soon at their property, which sits on a private island surrounded by the Thames River.
Flood warnings remain in force and the level of the Thames passing the 17th century mansion is 12 feet, almost double normal.
The Hollywood star has had little luck with his British property, which he bought in 2014 (pictured in 2016 and in the flood last year)
Last month, a narrow bridge leading to the luxury property had to close due to flooding and many locals were also left without power.
Flood warnings remain in force and the level of the Thames passing the 17th century mansion is at 12 feet, almost double the normal level.
The actor’s home has been hit by torrential rain in Britain and the back garden has flooded twice in the last 13 months with the river overflowing its banks.
Neighbors who live near the Hollywood star in the picturesque Berkshire village on the banks of the River Thames say they have not seen George, 62, or his wife, lawyer Amal, 46, for months.
Back in Oxfordshire, people say they can “totally understand” their decision to move because they can’t even access their garden, which is under four feet of water.
One resident said he used to see George all the time when he first moved to town, but he doesn’t anymore.
With temperatures ranging between 4C and 8C this week and more wet weather on the way, locals claimed the Clooneys are unlikely to be seen on their property anytime soon.
Last month, a narrow bridge leading to the luxury property had to close due to flooding and many locals were also left without power.
Jessica Sherratt, who was walking her dog along the Thames, said: “Much of the path is flooded so I can’t even go for my normal walk.” A few weeks ago, many neighbors had to go to eat at a local restaurant because there was no electricity in their homes.
‘No matter how nice George’s house is, you wouldn’t want to be surrounded by so much water, so if you can go somewhere else, why not? It’s probably dangerous for his children too.’
He added: “The problems with flooding in this area have become worse each year and are occurring much more regularly, which has had a huge impact on our lives.”
By contrast, the temperature in Brignoles this week will reach a high of 17°C with little chance of rain, making it an ideal winter destination for Clooney, Amal and their six-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, who have been making the most of your luxurious French retreat.
Amal was photographed earlier this month in France with her St. Bernard puppy named Nelson, a gift from her husband for her 46th birthday.
Severe flooding left Clooney’s entire garden underwater in 2021
The Clooneys’ home was hit by a flood in 2018, submerging the lawn
The Clooneys’ charming, sprawling 18th-century mansion is set on a 25-acre vineyard and features a swimming pool, tennis court, pétanque field, extensive gardens, an ornamental lake, and an olive grove. Clooney bought the stunning property, surrounded by lavender fields, for £6.5 million in August 2021.
Should the weather in Provence worsen, Clooney also has the option of traveling to Italy, to his luxurious home on the shores of Lake Como, which he bought in 2002 and is now valued at around £80 million.
But thanks to the traditionally wet climate, the Hollywood star has had little luck with his British property, which he bought in 2014.
The mansion features its own private boathouse, gym, spa, 12-seat home theater and swimming pool. It was reportedly renovated for 18 months before the actor and his family, along with his wife, a human rights lawyer, moved there.
Since then, it has been affected by floods at least six times, causing serious damage to the land but not to the interior.
The Clooneys were hit by a flood in January 2023, when the tennis court, terrace and most of the once luscious lawn were submerged by dirty water from the nearby river.
In January 2021, Storm Christoph caused flood water to seep onto the lawn, but the deluge did not reach the house.
Storm Dennis in February 2020 left the Hollywood star’s tennis courts, the terrace of his summer home and most of his lawn completely underwater.
In 2018, the grass was left flooded with water after three inches of rain fell over the April holiday weekend. And in 2016, during weeks of heavy rain, the Thames burst its banks and spilled over the garden, threatening to invade the house shortly after its multimillion-dollar renovation.
Local resident Max, who did not want to give his surname, said: “It is a very exclusive and expensive area and a lot of rich people live here.” But no matter how famous or rich you are, you can’t control the weather. Not even George Clooney can stop him from raining.
‘All this flooding must have had an impact on the value of your property. If it were sold, who would want to spend millions on a house that floods every year?