George Clooney recently opened up about his final moments with his sister, who died in Northern Kentucky in December.
The actor, who has several ties to Greater Cincinnati, shared how the death of his sister, Adelia "Ada" Zeidler, impacted him during a panel discussion at the Venice Film Festival.
Canadian entertainment and culture magazine Hello! Canada captured Clooney's vulnerable conversation in a video posted on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
“My sister, who I was very close to, got cancer last year, and she died very quickly,” the 65-year-old shared. “I was with her when she died, and there was this feeling being with her, holding her hand when she died, understanding how brief all of this is. It was minutes ago that she and I were little kids together.
Minutes ago, we were holding hands as little kids.”
The actor went on to share what he has learned from his grief.
“Time goes fast, all of this, and so we have to find nothing but joy,” he said. “Find joy in the things that are miserable. You have to find joy. You have to seek joy out, and you have to demand it, and you have to make sure that you demand it of yourself. That's it.”
“Because look, I don't know what happens after we die,” Clooney said. “Nobody I know has yet to come back and tell me exactly how it works out. So, I know this life. And for this life, you have to seek joy. And you have to try to find it for your family and your friends.”
Clooney's sister died at St. Elizabeth Hospital
Zeidler died at St. Elizabeth Hospital on Dec. 19, 2025, at the age of 65.
Clooney told People at the time that his sister was his "hero."
"She faced down cancer with courage and humor," Clooney said. "I've never met anyone so brave."
Zeidler was an artist and worked as an elementary art teacher at Augusta Independent School for several years. Augusta, Kentucky, is a small town about an hour east of Cincinnati along the Ohio River. It was the childhood home of Clooney, while his father, Nick Clooney, was a reporter for WKRC Local 12.
In a 2015 interview with "CBS This Morning," Clooney noted he is really close with his family. "My sister, I'm very close to," he said.
Enquirer reporter David Ferrara contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: George Clooney shares final moments with his sister, who died in NKY
