Excerpt from:
Sunday Mirror
by PETER BOND
Dec 31, 2000
THEY are harsh words, but probably sound advice for the British girl who is now dating George Clooney. "Just enjoy the love affair while it lasts - and guard your heart," says the Hollywood star's former girlfriend Kimberly Russell.
"Eventually, a woman finds that George simply ain't the marrying kind."
Kimberly's romance with the film superstar lasted three years, and she was left with a broken heart when she was replaced by 25-year- old model Lisa Snowdon.
Suddenly, Kimberly recognised a familiar pattern. George and his new girlfriend were seen in the swankiest restaurants and the trendiest clubs in London and Los Angeles.
Kimberly predicts there will have been flowers and gifts and love notes too. It was exactly how he flattered and wooed her in the beginning.
"That's how it starts with George," said the 31-year-old actress. "He sweeps you off your feet and romances the hell out of you. It's as though you are the only woman in the world worthy of his affections - and it's one glorious high.
"But don't mention the words "marriage, commitment or babies" because that's the end of the line.
"We'd been together for over three years and I wanted a family. I wanted us to be man and wife.
"But there was no hope of pinning him down.
"He had one busted marriage already, and he told me flat out it was never going to happen again.
"If Lisa Snowdon has any thoughts of getting him down the aisle, she better forget them quick.
"There will be no house on the hill with a white picket fence and kids playing in the yard.
"George loves and enjoys women. What he doesn't want is the emotional baggage that comes with them. He's too happy playing the field."
Lisa met George, 39, on the set of a Martini commercial in Spain in November.
After flying back to Los Angeles, the "Most Eligible Bachelor In America" spent hours logging on to Lisa's Internet website.
Obsessed with her beauty, he finally called her at home in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, saying: "I have to see you again."
Within 24 hours Lisa was on a flight to California.
Kimberly said: "She's getting the full Georgie treatment at the moment ...and there's nobody better at laying it on thick than him.
"He's funny, intelligent and unbelievably good looking. He's naturally romantic and has this wonderful deep voice.
"The guy's an absolute charmer - and I loved him for it. He flatters women to the point of embarrassment and beyond. God, I defy any normal, red-blooded woman to resist those chocolate brown eyes. You melt into them."
Kimberly had just finished dating another Hollywood star, Eddie Murphy, when she got a call to a beach party from a producer friend.
Clooney was among the guests who stripped to his swimwear and played volleyball in the sand.
She said: "He's not the tallest of men, but he was head and shoulders above all the other guys in the looks department that day.
"I was hoping he'd ask me for a date - but nothing. Then about a week later I got a call from him out of the blue. We went for a nice meal and he was the perfect gentleman.
"There was no presumption on his part that I was going to leap into bed with him just because he was a famous TV star.
It was a couple of weeks before anything happened...and in between times he had sent roses every day along with love notes and other little presents.
"We lived pretty close to each other in the Hollywood Hills and he used to pop round and cook for me if I was working late at the studio.
"He's very good at omelettes, French toast and spaghetti - but we also went to plenty of glitzy restaurants in Beverly Hills. He liked ordering for both of us.
"Then one night it happened and I was ready. He pulled off his tie and sat on the couch. No words were spoken. I sat beside him and we both knew. My bedroom door was open to him."
According to a recent survey, Kimberly"s weakness in the face of such overwhelming charisma is understandable.
Over 50 per cent of British women said they would like Gorgeous George in their shower - and 40 per cent said they would cheat on their partners to have sex with him. The Duchess of York admitted to feeling "strangely drawn to him" during a TV interview. Kimberly said: "Whenever we walked into a crowded room every woman's eyes would turn on us.
"I could physically feel their envy. It was a marvellous feeling.
"George was incredibly well-known from the ER television series...and he's more handsome in real life than on TV." In Hollywood, Clooney has the reputation for being the most "un- arrogant actor in town". He has no theatrical pretensions and is in many ways, a man's man.
He is one of the very few actors in Tinseltown who doesn't wear make-up on camera. And while loving the company of women, he also thoroughly enjoys a good lads" night out.
Kimberly said: "He is a strong and passionate lover. He's possibly the last person on Earth who needs Viagra. Sex with him was always an adventure. It was never mundane - never wham bam, thank you ma'am and then off to sleep.
"Whoever taught him the art of lovemaking, taught him well."
Kimberly, who has appeared in five hit movies, including The Game alongside Michael Douglas, declared: "Going out with George was so wonderfully different from my time with Eddie Murphy.
"Eddie was just so full of himself. Wherever we went there had to be bodyguards and flash limousines.
"George’s idea of fun was to get me on the back of his Harley Davidson motorbike and we’d go off for the day into the desert.
"At weekends we would stay in nice hotels just enjoying each other’s company. There was no pressure. He’s witty and charming...and loves naughty jokes.
"The only time I saw him down was when he talked of his marriage. He couldn’t disguise the fact it was a disaster.
"He blames himself, but admits he was pressured into it."
Clooney has described his wedding to Talia Balsam as "horrifying". It took place in 1989 at a cheap Las Vegas marriage parlour.
The union lasted barely three years. Before that, Kelly Preston had tried to get him to the altar and failed. She went on to marry John Travolta.
Kimberly revealed: "I have to admit marriage plans began forming in the back of my mind after our first year together. I didn’t say anything to George as it was obvious a second marriage wasn’t his No.1 priority.
"Anyway, we were having so much fun. We went on lots of holidays, including a lovely two weeks in London.
"We stayed in a fabulous hotel, went to the theatre and enjoyed incredible parties. George had plenty of friends over there in the entertainment business.
BACK in LA we effectively shared each other’s homes. I got to know his pet pig, Max, who’s been with him for years. We had our little rows, but nothing serious. George is not a confrontational type of person.
"After heated words he’d surprise me the next day with some kind of little present...or I’d get a phone call on set asking me to get away early so we could kiss and make up. I thought our relationship was perfect."
But unknown to Kimberly, towards the end of their time together Clooney met a 25-year-old French legal student, Celine Balitran, in Paris during a film shoot.
The blonde beauty was trying to pay her way through law school by working as a waitress.
She gave up her studies and came to LA, where George bought her a house in Beverly Hills. Kimberly said: "I had absolutely no idea George was seeing this woman behind my back. Even at the time we split up, I didn’t know of her existence. George covered his tracks damned well. There was not a hint he was also taking his pleasures elsewhere.
"We broke up because he was not prepared to marry me. I wanted a secure future and I wanted kids. He told me he was happy the way things were - and he never wanted kids.
"I was just devastated. I thought after more than three happy years together his attitude might have changed, but he was as resolute as it was possible to be.
"I laid it on the line for him. I told him our relationship was over unless we got married and started a family. Like most women, I wanted a properly structured future with the man I loved - and I wanted his children.
"But he laid it on the line as well saying there was no way he’d ever agree to such a commitment with me or anyone else.
"His actual words were "I’m sorry - I love you, but marriage is not a trip I can take again".
"It broke my heart the day he told me I would never be his wife. As a result, we agreed to go our separate ways."
Like Kimberly, Celine also gave up hope of marrying George, and the couple split last year. She settled instead for a pounds 3 million pay-off. "Quite how this French girl later ended up with so much money is beyond me. I never asked for or got a dime from George after we broke up, yet I was his lover for longer than any other woman, and he had plenty after me."
Following Kimberly and Celine, George was linked to Brazilian model Gisele, then Charlie’s Angel star Lucy Liu and UK TV presenter Mariella Frostrup before meeting Lisa Snowdon.
Kimberly said: "It’s my guess that by this time next year you could add another half dozen names to that list. Like I say, he has this commitment phobia. The moment that he believes a girl starts thinking in terms of putting down roots, he’s off.
"Looking back, I can’t believe we lasted as long as we did. He’s often away filming and temptation was always being put in his way."
It is claimed Tom Cruise’s wife, Nicole Kidman, and actress Michelle Pfeiffer have a 10,000 dollar bet that Clooney will be a dad by his 40th birthday next year. But that hardly seems likely in the bounds of matrimony.
Clooney once said himself: "I’m not made for marriage. I was married once and that’ll do it. I wasn’t fond of the experience."
He is eternally thankful for his break on ER in 1994. That got him noticed by the big studio bosses. Before that he had worked for 12 years on TV and in films such as Return Of The Killer Tomatoes.
Now he has the hit movies Three Kings and Perfect Storm under his belt and enough money in the bank never to work again if he chooses.
Kimberly’s future’s looking bright too - since her split with George she has married studio cameraman Michael Bonewitz.
"We’re hoping to start a family very soon," she says.
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