‘That Makes Me Crazy’: George Clooney on Paying $80K in Legal Fees to End 1st Marriage in Which He Put On 20 Pounds

• Years before he wed his beloved wife, Amal Clooney, George Clooney was first married to Talia Balsam.
• The dashing star revealed the tough time he went through during his first marriage.
• He revealed how he was ready to write a check without negotiations during their divorce. Talia later married another actor who she has been with for over two decades now.

Hollywood heartthrob and icon George Clooney, 62, is one of the most respected actors and filmmakers in the entertainment industry. Aside from his illustrious career, the once-confirmed premiere bachelor of Hollywood is a devoted and loving family man.

The "Ticket to Paradise" star is married to his beloved wife Amal Clooney, 45, and they frequently get referred to as a power couple in Tinseltown. Amal and George share two children, their twins Ella and Alexander Clooney.

Long before Amal stole his heart, George had vowed never to get married again after his first marriage didn't work out. And even years later, he still maintained his stance. In 2006, when asked if he had changed his mind, he said:

"The truth is, I haven't softened my position on anything, but it's not something I deal with on a regular basis. Who knows?..."

Clearly, the handsome star changed his mind once he met Amal. Of finding profound love with the dark-haired beauty and building their beautiful family together, George professed:

"...There is no question that having Amal in my life changed everything for me. No question about that...and then we had these two knuckleheads, and it is very fulfilling and something I wasn't at all—didn't see coming..."

He went on to reveal how the two had never even discussed marriage during their courtship and he just proposed one day out of the blue. The lovebirds hadn't talked about having kids either until they decided to pursue parenthood one day.

Amal and her husband have been going strong for nine years now, having celebrated their anniversary last month. Although George has found the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with, he was married once before to American actress Talia Balsam, 64.

George Clooney Was First Married to Talia Balsam and Shared Some Words about Their Split

Years prior to meeting and marrying Amal, the "Ocean's Eleven" star was in a relationship with Talia. George met her in 1984 while she starred alongside him in a local play, and he was smitten by the actress.

During their initial dating phase, Talia broke up with George, but they reunited years later. When they got back together, George decided to propose, and the two tied the knot in 1989.

However, just short of three years of marriage, problems began to arise in their relationship. Reflecting on his first marriage, George divulged how it took a toll on his health.

George became very sick and developed an ulcer, which prevented him from working out. As such, he gained 20 pounds and became an unhappy mess. Of his health and emotional woes, George disclosed:

"It was a very tough time...I probably—definitely—wasn't someone who should have been married at that point...I was responsible for the failure of that marriage."

George also believed he did not give Talia a fair shot in their marriage. The two ended up calling it quits in 1992 and went forward with their divorce proceedings.

[J]ust like her ex-husband, whom she has nothing but kind things to say about, Talia found love again, this time with famous actor John Slattery, 61.

In the beginning phases of their divorce, things started off amicably between the two. However, things soon took a turn after their lawyers got involved.

The Hollywood heartthrob was willing to write a check for whatever Talia thought was fair and without negotiations involved. However, things didn't progress the way he had wanted it to. Instead, George explained:

"...I paid $80,000 in lawyers' fees. And that makes me crazy."

Although George said he was less than pleased with how his divorce ended, the two are amicable. A few years ago, Talia was being interviewed for her then-new series, "Divorce," when George came up in the conversation. Talia had nothing but nice things to say about her ex-husband. She expressed:

"...George is charming. He remains charming. I've worked with him."

While both have moved on to wed other people, Talia's name would sometimes still be brought up, especially in comparison to Amal. There were tweets noting their resemblance, some saying Amal looked like a younger version of Talia.

Talia Balsam Has Been Married to Another Actor for over Two Decades

A few years after her divorce from George, Talia found love again with another actor, John Slattery, 61. They got married in 1998 and have been solid ever since.

In the past, John has gushed about how lucky he is to have found Talia and described her and their son as his most significant achievements in life. During a conversation about his family, the "Mad Men" star boasted:

"I just found the right person, you know, I lucked out...We get along well, we always have...We understand the rhythms of this life...I got lucky."

Their family is close-knit. As for how they raise their son Harry, John revealed the advice he passes along to him whenever life throws obstacles his way:

"I think having to recognize the truth is sometimes not an easy thing to do, but ultimately is the way to go...you have to look at what is and deal with the reality of your situation...I have a son who I obviously try illustrate that to..."

John ended his statement by reiterating the importance of recognizing that we only have one life, so paying attention to it and the truth of its reality is paramount.

The reality of his life is that he is happily married to Talia, who was able to move on the same way George did with Amal.