Steel magnate accuses George Clooney of hypocrisy in defamation court case

Libyan businessman Ahmed Gadalla has filed a legal case accusing George Clooney of hypocrisy, claiming that the actor's investigative human rights organization published a false and defamatory report about him. The lawsuit targets the Sentry, an organization co-founded by the actor in 2016 to investigate war crimes, human rights abuses, and financial crimes in conflict zones.

According to court documents, the 46-year-old steel magnate claimed the organization published lengthy narratives containing false allegations. The filing alleged that the report falsely stated Gadalla committed fraud by borrowing $300 million from an Abu Dhabi bank utilizing Emirati companies. Furthermore, the documents asserted that the Sentry failed to check its facts and refused to publish his responses to the claims.

The legal complaint detailed further accusations made by the organization, stating that the Sentry alleged Gadalla bankrolled a warlord's assault on his country's capital using stolen public money. The court documents also stated the organization accused him of paying Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries, secretly controlling three Libyan banks, and pushing the European Union to impose sanctions so he could face charges in Libya.

In the court documents, Gadalla highlighted Clooney's past criticisms of irresponsible journalism to accuse the Hollywood star of applying a double standard. The businessman cited instances where the actor called out news outlets for dangerous and irresponsible reporting concerning his own family, noting that Clooney previously demanded strict adherence to fact-checking from media organizations.

The legal filing referenced a 2024 deleted article published by a British tabloid regarding Clooney's family, noting that the outlet eventually removed the piece and issued an apology that the actor ultimately rejected. The court documents quoted a past statement from the actor regarding accountability, where he remarked that the cover-up is always worse when someone is caught doing something wrong.

The Sentry was established by Clooney alongside John Prendergast nearly a decade ago with the stated mission of tracking financial flows linked to war crimes and holding enablers of violence accountable. Alongside this venture, Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016 to offer free legal aid supporting free speech and women's rights across numerous countries.

Over the course of his career, the actor has frequently voiced frustrations regarding media practices and the rapid spread of unverified stories across global outlets. Representatives for the actor were not immediately available to provide comment on the newly filed legal proceedings.

The ongoing litigation places the co-founder's investigative organization directly in the legal spotlight, contrasting his longstanding public defense of accurate reporting with the allegations brought forward by the Libyan businessman.