Elisabetta Canalis: George Clooney Was "Like a Father" to Me

Celebrity News October 30, 2011 AT 2:42PM
Elisabetta Canalis: George Clooney Was "Like a Father"  to Me Credit: Venturelli/WireImage

At 50 years old, George Clooney is just old enough to be a father to his ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis.

And, well, he kind of was!

PHOTOS: George and Elisabetta in happier times

"He was a very special person for me - like a father," Canalis, 33, tells Italian broadcaster Bruno Vespa in his new book This Love. The Italian model and TV personality parted ways with actor Clooney over the summer after about two years together. He quickly rebounded with another  younger woman, former WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler, 32.

"With George it was more of a father-daughter relationship," Canalis reveals of the romance. "It was a great love and it was like living a fairy tale. George is a real gentleman even with his private life. I was very well respected as a partner."

PHOTOS: May-December romances in Hollywood

But Canalis shoots down widely held assumptions that they broke up because she was desperate to marry and have children with him.

"We both decided it was time to split up," she says. "George and I never spoke about marriage or children. I'm not saying that I don't want them but neither he or I ever imagined having children together."

PHOTOS: All of George Clooney's girls

Why did they split, then? "We split up for our own personal reasons not because of marriage," she says, vaguely, adding that it was  love at first sight for her when they met back in 2009. "I threw myself body and soul into my relationship with George. Four days after we met I packed my bags and moved in with him."

She has absolutely no hard feelings for her ex, despite his quick, very public rebound with Keibler. "He respected my feminine sensibility and was a marvelous boyfriend and one of the nicest people I have ever met because of his humanity," she gushed.

PHOTOS: Stars who've romanced models

"My relationship with George did not damage me. I was with a man who is famous across the world and I will go forward on my own," says the beauty, who tried her hand as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars before getting eliminated early on. "Here (America) I am living a dream!"

Tell Us What You Think

20
Comment by signing in with or creating your Facebook account by clicking below.
  • November 06, 2011 - 11:33am Tess Tkbr

    who cares about her?

  • November 03, 2011 - 2:46pm Donna Kondas-Braemer

    Am I the only one who's saying "EWWWWW"? That's so gross-you mean to tell me that she thought of sleeping with her father? I don't totally agree with you Deborah Childers. If that's what she meant than that is what she would have said, whether there is a translation issue she would have made it clearer. When he broke up with her she was not saying that he was a father to her or anything like that. She was hurt when they broke up. I wouldn't believe a word outta her mouth since she was totally saying other things before this interview.

  • November 02, 2011 - 6:31pm Deborah Childers

    I actually think this is a translation issue. She speaks very little english. In Italy, it is very common for older men to date younger women, even if the man is married to someone else. It's an everyday thing there. I think she had meant that the relationship was very comforting or protective, as a father would protect her. There is no way, either of them were together for two years, and didn't have sex. I'm not seeing a Justin Timberlake / Cameron Diaz (Bad Teacher) type sexual scenario. But this is just my opinion.

  • October 31, 2011 - 2:17pm Amanda Lynn Velez

    Anybody who gets involved with George Clooney knows what their getting into. They all move in, travel, get photographed on the red carpet and eventually break up and its onto a different young woman. For her to say her relationship was like a father daughter relationship is just her being bitter and quite creepy. I don't know what her relationship with her actual father was like but mine was not like that.

  • October 31, 2011 - 12:59pm Michael Warner

    You folks don't really believe they ever slept together, do you? Get a clue!

  • October 31, 2011 - 12:56pm Mike Sedgwick

    EWW. Did you do it with your biological father, too?

  • October 31, 2011 - 9:00am Noplasticpls Ok

    like her father?? OMG

  • October 31, 2011 - 1:48am Dyanne Triend

    I too saw the interview and her talking about marriage, I felt maybe that was part of why they broke up. I feel also this is a little "dig" to George. She is a model, who wants to be a star.

  • October 31, 2011 - 12:03am Carlie Jarah McEachern

    I think her comment about the father/daughter relationship was a bitter comment! She sounds very wonderful and kind but she is also trying to slap him by bringing up his age. I am just happy she's off DWTS. I never got how she was a star...maybe in Italy?!

  • October 30, 2011 - 11:02pm Celine Jos

    Funny...prior to George dumping her she was talking about marriage..blah...blah. Now that she sees him move on with Stacey Keibler, it was a father-daughter like relationship!! He is an a$$ anyways, but now she sounds like a crazy, messed up person!

  • October 30, 2011 - 8:59pm Larry Jackson

    She said nothing unkind in the interview yet you all feel the need to bash her - now that's pathetic!

  • October 30, 2011 - 8:10pm Becky Dowling

    She is weird, and wants desperately to be in the limelight. I never thought she was even attractive.

  • October 30, 2011 - 7:03pm Sarah Staats

    clearly the relationship fizzled because of this dynamic... father/daughter.... obviosley the end result people

  • October 30, 2011 - 6:02pm Linda Stevens

    She looks to be in her mid 30's...if she was 21 years old and looked 16 years old then we would have a father/daughter issue to discuss.

  • October 30, 2011 - 5:41pm Stefanie Trump-Ludwig

    Does she sleep with her real father too? Gross.

  • October 30, 2011 - 5:34pm Isabel Lani

    Pathetic, the only way to get some attention.

  • October 30, 2011 - 5:02pm Elsa Caceres

    sad... move on

  • October 30, 2011 - 4:55pm Audra Charon

    So she sleeps with someone who is like a father to her. Interesting. Don't care much for her anyway. Loves the media attention also.

  • October 30, 2011 - 4:14pm Meghan Fifield

    ew.

  • October 30, 2011 - 3:12pm Trinity Kennedy

    so let me get this straight she's only famous because she dated George? wow US I thought this was a celebrity news site.

ADVERTISEMENT