Ellen Barkin has found love again — and she has George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin to thank. The Sea of Love star is engaged to Alamuddin’s colleague, British barrister and Queen’s counsel Ben Emmerson, a source reveals exclusively to Us Weekly.
“She is so happy and in love again,” the source confirms to Us, adding that the actress and lawyer got engaged over the holidays, after meeting at Alamuddin and Clooney’s September 2014 nuptials.
“Ellen met him at George and Amal’s wedding and they totally hit it off,” the insider explains. “It happened quickly but she’s totally fallen for him and flies to see him all the time.”
Aside from intelligence — Emmerson specializes in human rights law, public international law, and international crime law, among a bevy of other accolades — the source tells Us that Barkin, 60, fell in love with the 51-year-old’s charm.
“He is really handsome and smart and charming and swept her off her feet,” the insider says.
As for their celeb BFFs Clooney and Alamuddin? The insider says they couldn’t be happier for their friends.
“George and Amal love them together! They both love Ellen and Ben so they think this is so great and love that they made a great match happen,” the source says.
Barkin was previously married to Gabriel Byrne, with whom she shares two kids, from 1988 to 1999, and to Ronald O. Perelman from 2000 to 2006.
