George Clooney Accused of Hypocrisy by Steel Magnate in Lawsuit

Steel magnate Ahmed Gadalla has accused George Clooney and his investigative human rights organization, The Sentry, of hypocrisy in new court documents. Gadalla, a Liberian businessman, alleges that The Sentry published a report containing false narratives about him, accusing him of fraud and money laundering.

The lawsuit claims that The Sentry failed to verify its facts and did not include Gadalla's response to the allegations in its report. According to court documents, the organization accused Gadalla of using Emirati companies to borrow $300 million from an Abu Dhabi bank. The Sentry also allegedly claimed Gadalla sponsored Russian mercenaries, engaged in money laundering, and controlled Libyan banks to commit fraud.

Gadalla's legal filings further state that the organization requested the European Union impose sanctions on him and that he be charged in Libya. The documents contrast these actions with Clooney's past criticisms of the media for publishing what he described as "dangerous" and "irresponsible" reporting about his own family, particularly after a since-deleted Daily Mail article led to an apology that Clooney reportedly rejected.

"When the false story was about his own family, the Sentry’s co-founder applied a very different standard," the court documents reportedly state. Clooney himself has previously commented on media practices, stating in 2009, "The problem is that there is so little reporting anymore, somebody will write a story, and it will be in 1,800 different outlets and you have no recourse."

Clooney, along with John Prendergast, co-founded The Sentry in 2016. The organization's stated mission is to investigate and expose war crimes, human rights abuses, and the financial networks that fuel them, aiming to hold perpetrators and enablers of violence and corruption accountable. In the same year, Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, established the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which provides legal aid for free speech and women's rights globally.

A representative for George Clooney was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Post.