Are Barack Obama and George Clooney Friends?

Now that Barack Obama is no longer in office, he’s been enjoying retirement. Lately, Obama and his family have been traveling around Europe, and even made a stop to hang out with actor George Clooney. Why would the former president be visiting Hollywood royalty? Are the two men friends? Let’s go over what we know about the relationship between Obama and Clooney.

Barack Obama visited George Clooney in Italy

Obama was recently spotted on Lake Como, Italy, with Clooney. The pair were seen riding a boat, in suits, but no ties. Apparently, they wanted to make an impression with their stylish attire, but the event didn’t necessitate the formalness of ties.

Their respective wives, Michelle Obama and Amal Clooney, were nowhere in sight for the boat ride, but they may have been hanging out together somewhere else. We know the women are around because it was reported by Town and Country that the Clooneys were hosting the Obamas at their villa in Italy. The reason for their visit is to attend a charity dinner hosted by the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

The Clooneys narrowly avoided disaster

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In fact, the Clooneys had a near disaster while waiting for the Obamas to arrive — a plumbing disaster, to be specific. According to The Daily Beast, just before the Obamas arrived — in an entourage of seven cars with darkened glass, a white van for luggage, six police cars, and a helicopter — the Clooneys noticed that their swimming pool was only half full, and the water felt like ice.

Dante Penne, a local plumber in Lake Como explained the scene when he arrived. “What a race,” he said. “I arrive and they are all upset. Giovanni [the bodyguard] says to me: hurry up, hurry up!” Penne claims he did not know who the important guests were at the time. He told the bodyguard: “Let me work, otherwise I won’t be able to fix it.”

Luckily, Penne was able to correct the problem in time, and Clooney was very grateful. He told the plumber: “Thank you, I was worried. You know, my friend is a tanned guy, he doesn’t like cold water.”

Barack Obama and George Clooney have hung out before

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The Clooneys have been looking forward to hosting the Obamas at their Italian villa since at least 2017 when Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter that he hoped to show it off to the former president someday. Although, this isn’t the first time the Clooneys have played host to the Obamas. They also visited Clooney’s home in Sonning, England, where Clooney says he and Obama played basketball. “I shot the lights out that day,” Clooney said of the game. “I think it really bothered him.”

That wasn’t the only time Obama has challenged Clooney to a game of hoops. In 2016, the official White House photographer released pictures of Obama and Clooney shooting the ball around at the White House courts. Clooney was there to discuss human rights with the then president when they decided to hit the court.

Clooney also revealed that he sometimes sends Obama racy text messages. When asked about it, Clooney said: “A little bit. Not Scaramucci-racy, but… you know, I have over the years with my friends said a lot of really [outrageous things].”