Christian Bale Gets Catty with George Clooney: 'Just Shut Up'

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ETONLINE

Christian Bale has some harsh advice for another Batman, George Clooney.

In an interview for WSJ magazine's December/January holiday issue, The Dark Knight star slams Clooney's concerns for celebrity privacy and the constant tabloid coverage of certain stars. "It doesn't matter that he talks about it. It's like, 'Come on, guys, just shut up,'" Bale said of the A-list actor. "Just get on with it and live your lives and stop whining about it. I prefer not to whine about it."


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That said, the 40-year-old Oscar winner goes on to recall his own run-in with the paparazzi, giving an example of how he handles the downside of fame.

"I was in Italy with my wife. I would go to work; she would leave the hotel. There would be a man who stood outside of the hotel, and he would say the most obscene things imaginable to my wife," he told WSJ. "Now, that happened a number of times. I know what he’s after; he has a strategy there. Am I able to say I'm not gonna give him that satisfaction of angry Christian Bale coming after this man? But equally, he's killing my humanity and my dignity as a husband if I do not, and he knows this. So you've got a choice."


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He added of dealing with the press, "Some people poke you like you're an animal in a zoo, looking for a response. If you’re smart, you don't give it to them. If you're dumb, occasionally, like me, you give it to them."

One of Bale's more infamous outbursts is when he angrily yelled at a crew member on set of Terminator Salvation. Audio of the altercation was recorded and leaked. Upon the video going viral, the actor released an apology saying his actions were inexcusable. "Look, it didn't work regardless," he said of the apology. "But if it was going to fail, I wanted it to fail on its own merits. (Laughs) Not because people said what an a**hole I am, you know?"


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Will Bale's new Clooney comments start an A-list feud? ET looks back at the nastiest celebrity feuds this year. 

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