George Clooney Might Sell His Estate Because of Paparazzi

George Clooney might sell his beloved Lake Como estate at the end of the summer amid concerns over paparazzi constantly photographing him and wife Amal there. There are increased fines near George Clooney's Italian villa for fans hoping to see him and his wife, Amal.

Clooney is thinking of accepting an offer of as much as $100 million for his lakeside, 18th-century Villa Oleandra, which he bought from the Heinz family in 2002, reportedly for around $10 million.

The star is hugely popular in the northern Italy area — “He’s like the mayor of the lake,” a source said — but he’s troubled by the attention he gets when he’s at the gorgeous, cream-colored, shuttered mansion in Laglio. Photographers have recently caught George and Amal saying farewell to Robert De Niro after he and wife Grace Hightower came over for dinner. Then, this week, Clooney was photographed shirtless as he and Amal caught the sunset with a friend.

A source told PageSix, “George loves the area and the people who live there, but is conscious of the attention he gets when he is in town. He has received a huge offer for the villa, which he is considering, and he would buy another, less accessible property in another area of Italy.”

In April, it was reported that Laglio mayor Roberto Pozzi had established a no-go zone around the Oscar winner’s villa and Villa Margherita next door, which Clooney also owns, and anyone caught snooping within 300 feet of the property would be fined $550.

In 2007, Clooney had considered selling the villa after then-mayor Giuseppe Mantero tried to turn a boat dock next to the house into a park “for viewing George Clooney’s place,” the actor said, adding that residents including himself signed a petition against the plan. 

Clooney told Australia’s news.com.au, “And I said, ‘If you want to go forward with this, and if it’s my fault that it’s happening, then I should leave.’ I don’t want their town being ruined.” The mayor ditched the plan.

Lakefront villas in the area rarely come on the market and it’s common for wealthy house hunters to make huge offers. Clooney’s rep didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.