George Clooney Reveals Horrifying Details About His Motorcycle Crash at 70 mph

In the summer of 2018, George Clooney was involved in a motorcycle accident, with the actor crashing into a car at high speed while in Italy filming his new Hulu show, Catch-22.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter to promote the show, Clooney opened up about the terrifying crash, revealing that he thought the moment might be the end for him.

“It was bad. I hit [a car] at 70 miles an hour,” he recalled. “It split my helmet in half, it knocked me out of my shoes. I was hit hard. I was just waiting for the switch to turn off because I broke his windshield with my head, and I thought, ‘OK, well, that’s my neck.’ If you get nine lives, I got all of them used up at once — so I can let go of motorcycle riding for a while.”

“That was a really fun time,” he added. “I’ve learned that I really, actually, cannot fly. I learned that lesson really well.”

Police told NBC News that the accident occurred when the car’s driver allegedly did not “respect the right of way,” and hit Clooney. The star fell and was rushed to a hospital after the driver of the car called an ambulance. Clooney was later released without serious injury after a negative MRI.

“George was treated and released from an Olbia hospital,” a rep for Clooney told PEOPLE at the time. “He is recovering at home and will be fine.”

After the accident, the actor said that he and his wife, Amal Clooney, decided he was done riding motorcycles.

“I actually thought that was it,” he told Ellen DeGeneres earlier this month. “Do that 100 times, 99 [of those] times I wouldn’t be around [after]. So I used up nine lives, and then my wife and I said, ‘Okay, I’m off two wheels.’”

Clooney also offered more details about the accident during his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“I was on a motorcycle scooter — but a big one — and a guy turned in front of me and I hit him at about 70 miles an hour,” he revealed. “So I got launched, and I crushed his windshield in with my head and then I went flying up in the air afterward. It knocked me out of my shoes, I mean a proper accident.”

To make the 58-year-old feel better about not being able to ride a motorcycle, DeGeneres gifted him with a three-wheeled senior scooter with flames on the sides and a skull on the back.

“I’m now the AARP Sexiest Man Still Alive,” Clooney joked while trying out his new ride. “I’ve never felt more masculine, honestly. It’s a good thing I’m married because it’s over.”

Catch-22 is now streaming on Hulu.

Photo Credit: Getty / Paul Archuleta