Clooney Was Like a 'Father,' Says Elisabetta

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Ever wonder what it's like to be one of the lucky ladies on George Clooney's arm? Well, you're in luck! Clooney's former flame, Elisabetta Canalis, opened up about her two-year relationship with the Oscar winner, and the details may surprise you.

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While George's girlfriends have kept notoriously mum on the subject of their failed romances, Elisabetta recently spoke to Italian journalist Bruno Vespa in his new book, Questo Amore (This Love). Excerpts of the soon-to-be released book have the 33-yr-old labeling her rapport with Hollywood's quintessential bachelor as somewhat paternal.

"He has been a special for me, and very important, just as a father would be," Canalis said. When asked by the journalist to clarify, she told Vespa, "between us there was more of a father-daughter relationship."

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As for rumors of George's refusal to marry being a factor in their split, Elisabetta maintains that commitment wasn't an issue. "George and I never spoke of marriage nor of having kids," she says. "I don't put limits to the possibility of having them, but neither George nor I had ever envisaged having kids together. The end of the relationship was not caused by a marriage issue, but instead by our personal needs."

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While Elisabetta didn't go into the nitty gritty, she spoke highly of their time together, telling the journalist she was "very much respected as a woman and a partner," with George, adding that he is, in fact, a "real gentleman" behind closed doors.