George Clooney rejects Daily Mail apology

George Clooney has rejected an apology from the Daily Mail, branding it “the worst kind of tabloid”.

Clooney recently accused MailOnline of “inciting violence” by publishing a story which claimed that the mother of his fiancée, Amal Alamuddin, didn’t approve of her daughter marrying outside of the Druze faith.

The publication later issued an apology for the story but argued that it was not a fabrication, as Clooney had said, but based on “conversations with a long-standing contact”.

Clooney has responded to the Mail’s statement by writing an article for USA Today, in which he suggested that the tabloid lied about its sources.

“There is one constant when a person or company is caught doing something wrong,” he said. “The cover-up is always worse.

“The original story never cites [the] source, but instead goes out of its way to insist on four different occasions that ‘a family friend’ spoke directly to the Mail. A ‘family friend’ was the source. So either they were lying originally or they’re lying now.”

He went on to say: “What separates this from all of the ridiculous things the Mail makes up is that now, by their own admission, it can be proved to be a lie. In fact, a premeditated lie.”

The actor accused the Mail of causing damage, writing: “I thank the Mail for its apology. Not that I would ever accept it, but because in doing so they’ve exposed themselves as the worst kind of tabloid.

“One that makes up its facts to the detriment of its readers and to all the publications that blindly reprint them.”