Hunter Biden refutes George Clooney’s claim his father didn’t recognize actor at fundraiser

WASHINGTON, DC: Hunter Biden has flatly denied a bombshell claim from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s new book ‘Original Sin’, which alleges that then-President Joe Biden failed to recognize George Clooney backstage at a fundraiser, the same event that reportedly inspired Clooney’s public call for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.

In a rare three-hour interview published on Substack this week, Hunter said the story was completely fabricated and “did not happen,” pushing back against what he called a “self-sabotaging act of disloyalty” by Clooney. The book recounts an anecdote in which Biden appeared confused when introduced to Clooney, requiring an aide to reintroduce the actor.

Hunter Biden calls George Clooney's claim ‘total bulls**t’

“I was there,” Hunter Biden insisted during the interview with journalist Tommy Christopher. “That did not happen. It’s total bulls**t.”

He explained that the backstage interaction was brief and formal and far from the awkward exchange depicted in the book. “The aide said, ‘Mr President, George Clooney and Julia Roberts,’ and my dad turned and said, ‘Hello, George,’ and that’s it,” Hunter recalled. “The interaction was seconds, maybe less.”

The former first son said Clooney “did not want to be there” and may have had “his own issues” that night.

"Let me let me step back for a second. I’m an angry son on behalf of my father, but I’m not an angry man, and I’m non-irrational. And the thing that I’m no irrational about is this, is that I hate fighting with people that care about the same things that I do."

The claim that reshaped the 2024 race

The alleged backstage moment took on symbolic weight earlier this year after Clooney’s New York Times op-ed urging Biden to step aside for the good of the Democratic Party.

According to ‘Original Sin’, Clooney’s frustrations stemmed from this fundraiser, suggesting Biden appeared frail and confused, a perception that helped push party leaders toward change.

However, Hunter’s version directly challenged that narrative. “You can say whatever you want about me,” he said, “but when you use moments whether private or public and call yourself a friend, and then stab my dad in the back, I don’t know why anyone would think I have anything nice to say.”

Hunter Biden admits he hasn’t forgiven George Clooney yet

Despite acknowledging Clooney’s long-standing activism and good reputation, Hunter admitted he’s still hurt. “What George did, I thought was a self-sabotaging act of disloyalty, not just to my dad but to the whole party,” he said.

When asked if he forgave the Oscar-winning actor, Hunter replied, “No, not yet. I gotta get there. I’m just really being honest about it.”

Still, he ended with a moment of humility. “Who the f**k am I?” he said. “I’m sure [Clooney] thinks he did the right thing. But we just come from different parts of town when it comes to loyalty.”