George Clooney has written a heartfelt letter to the mayor of Brignoles after he and his family were forced to flee their French home this week, as wildfires continue to devastate swathes of southern France.
The Hollywood actor and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, evacuated the property alongside their two children — twins Ella and Alexander — after a fire broke out near the town. Writing directly to mayor Didier Brémond, Clooney offered a frank acknowledgement of the uncertainty facing the family and a firm pledge to stand by the community regardless of what they return to.
"At this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment and as we evacuate Brignoles we want to emphasise two things — first we hope you and the people of our city are safe, and second that Amal and I are committed to making sure that whatever happens to our village, we are part of this community."
A Community They Call Home
The Clooneys purchased their Brignoles property in 2021 and the entire family was awarded French citizenship in December 2025, a move that underlined the depth of their commitment to life in the region. The letter, shared with the BBC, closed warmly: "We love Brignoles and our friends who live there" — a sentiment that carries particular weight given the family chose France deliberately, not simply as a bolt-hole for the famous.
George Clooney has previously spoken openly about why the move made sense for his family. In an interview with Esquire magazine, he explained that raising Ella and Alexander in Los Angeles came with pressures he was keen to avoid.
"I don't want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi. I don't want them being compared to somebody else's famous kids. We live on a farm in France — they're not on their iPads. They have dinner with grown-ups and have to take their dishes in. They have a much better life."
The Scale of the Crisis
The Clooneys are far from alone in being displaced. The wildfires currently sweeping through France have forced at least 220,000 residents and holidaymakers to evacuate, with the blaze in the Gironde region the largest the country has seen since 1949, having already destroyed 42,000 hectares of land. The Préfet du Var issued the evacuation order for parts of Brignoles at 8pm local time on Wednesday, though by Thursday afternoon those affected were permitted to return — with local officials still urging caution, warning that rising temperatures and strengthening winds meant conditions remained dangerous.
The crisis is not contained to France. Across Europe, extreme heat has left vast stretches of countryside dangerously parched. In Greece, thousands were evacuated on Crete as powerful winds spread fires rapidly — with two firefighters losing their lives after becoming trapped near Krya Vrysi, and a third killed near the port town of Gytheio on the Peloponnese. Spain is similarly battling outbreaks across multiple regions.
What Comes Next for Brignoles
There are tentative signs of hope in France: the Gironde blaze appears to have been halted for a third consecutive day and rain is forecast, raising cautious optimism that the worst may be passing. For the Clooneys, however, the waiting continues. Their letter made clear they are not planning to simply move on — whatever state their home is in when they return, they intend to be part of rebuilding the community around it.
It is the kind of gesture that goes beyond a celebrity statement, and in Brignoles — a small French town that is now, officially, their home — it will no doubt mean a great deal. Follow the latest on stories like this in our celebrity section.
