Clooney denies suicidal thoughts

Showbiz

13:30 26 October 2005

George Clooney has denied he once considered committing suicide - insisting his comments have been taken "out of context".

The Hollywood actor was reported as saying he'd contemplated ending his life after 12 months of personal tragedy and turmoil.

In the past year, Clooney suffered an excruciating brain injury on the set of his new thriller, 'Syriana', and was also left reeling after his grandmother, brother-in-law and dog died within months of each other.

The handsome actor told America's National Public Radio in Los Angeles: "Before the surgery it was the most unbearable pain I've ever been through, literally where you'd go, 'Well, you'll have to kill yourself at some point, you can't live like this.'"

But Clooney now insists: "I certainly did not talk about wanting to kill myself.

"I was talking about living a long time in that sort of pain."

Clooney, 44, suffered his freak injury, which left him with excruciating headaches and serious memory loss, when a fight scene in his new movie went wrong.

He explained: "I was being beaten up, taped to a chair. The chair was kicked over and I hit my head.

"I tore my dura, the wrap around my spine which holds in spinal fluid. I basically bruised my brain."

(c) BANG Media International