George Clooney shares harrowing account of sister's final moments before cancer death aged 65

Get exclusive reporting, celebrity gossip, sensational photos and more every Tuesday morning in our new Spotlight US newsletter HERE Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 09:32 EDT, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 09:48 EDT, 8 September 2026 George Clooney spoke with heartrending candor on the final moments of his sister Adelia 'Ada' Zeidler, who succumbed to cancer last December aged 65.'She died very quickly, and I was with her when she died,' Clooney remembered this week while giving a masterclass at the Venice Film Festival.'And there was this feeling, being with her, holding her hand when she died, understanding how brief all of this is,' he said, via Variety.'It was minutes ago that she and I were little kids together; Minutes ago we were holding hands as little kid,' said the Good Night, and Good Luck director.Clooney, who was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Festival, reflected: 'Time goes fast. All of this. And so we have to find nothing but joy.'Although Ada led a life outside the public eye, she had been spotted with her world famous brother in Venice in 2014, the pair of them riding along a canal together during their visit to the city for his wedding to his wife Amal Clooney. George Clooney spoke with heartrending candor on the final moments of his sister Adelia 'Ada' Zeidler, who succumbed to cancer last December aged 65 'She died very quickly, and I was with her when she died,' Clooney remembered this week while giving a masterclass at the Venice Film Festival Clooney previously described Ada as his 'hero' when he broke his silence on her death in a statement released the following day.'She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I've never met anyone so brave. Amal and I will miss her terribly,' added the Ocean's Eleven star.Ada's official obituary described her as a 'talented artis' in her own right who 'died peacefully' while 'surrounded by the people she loved' on December 19, 2025.Three days after her death at a branch of St Elizabeth Healthcare in Kentucky, her funeral was held at Patrick Catholic Church in Maysville.Ada was born in Los Angeles on May 2, 1960 to Nick and Nina Clooney, just one year and four days before her movie star brother.George and Ada Clooney hailed from a showbiz family - their father was a noted radio host and liberal activist, while their aunt was the celebrated jazz singer Rosemary Clooney, who also starred in the classic movie White Christmas. Nina, a onetime beauty queen, shared warm memories of the way her children played with each other during their childhood in Kentucky, in a 2006 interview with HGTV.She laughingly recalled arriving home from work to see George and Ada having a party with their friends and goofing around with marshmallows.The children, she said, 'would lick one side of' each marshmallow 'and throw them at each other. When I came in, there were marshmallows stuck all over the room.'