George Clooney's ex's famous husband John Slattery makes rare appearance with son at the Sundance Festival


The Mad Men star is married to George Clooney's first wife Talia Balsam


John made a rare appearance© Getty Images for Acura
Faye James
Faye JamesSenior Editor
56 minutes ago
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John Slattery made a rare public appearance at the Sundance Film Festival with his son Harry, cutting a low-key but polished figure against a wintry backdrop. 

The actor - who is married to George Clooney’s former first wife, Talia Balsam - kept things effortlessly cool in a crew-neck knit layered beneath a sharp black blazer, teamed with jeans and sturdy boots.

His son Harry looked dashing in a green bomber jacket paired with a denim jacket, red scarf and dark jeans.

Earlier, the Mad Men star appeared beside an Acura-branded bobsled display, hands relaxed in his pockets as the snow-dusted mountains loom behind him. 

 (L-R) John Slattery and Harry Slattery © Getty Images
(L-R) John Slattery and Harry Slattery

Another close-up highlighted his signature silver hair and black-rimmed glasses, with his pared-back look letting the alpine setting do the talking.

 It was a quietly stylish moment for the low key actor, marking a welcome return to the spotlight at one of cinema’s most celebrated festivals.

John made a rare appearance© Getty Images for Acura
John made a rare appearance

John shares Harry with Talia and they have been married since 1998. George and Talia met in 1984 when starring in a local play, and quickly fell in love. However, their relationship didn't last very long and Talia broke things off.

In between, he dated actress Kelly Preston (the late future wife of John Travolta) from 1987-89, even adopting a Pot-bellied pig with her named Max (who he kept after the break-up).

John Slattery attends the Acura House of Energy at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival© Getty Images for Acura
John Slattery attends the Acura House of Energy at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival

Years later, he and Talia reconnected and things moved quickly. He proposed in 1989 and soon after, that December, they jetted off to Las Vegas and tied the knot.

Things started off well for the newlyweds. However, just three years in, their marriage started to deteriorate. "It was a very tough time," George told Vanity Fair. "And in the middle of it all I had a bleeding ulcer and I was really sick."

John Slattery and his wife Talia Balsam © GC Images
John Slattery and his wife Talia Balsam

By 1992, he had filed for divorce, which was made official the following year. "I probably – definitely – wasn't someone who should have been married at that point," he shared. "I just don't feel like I gave Talia a fair shot. I was responsible for the failure of that marriage." 

George Clooney and his first wife Talia Balsam in 1990© Ron Galella Collection via Getty
George Clooney and his first wife Talia Balsam in 1990

Talia comes from a family of actors, the daughter of Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten, and the niece of actor Dick Van Patten.

She began her acting career in the late '70s, at the same time as her ex-husband, and landed her first role of notice in 1977 on the sitcom Happy Days. She continued playing recurring and supporting roles in TV and film for decades.

Her most significant roles include recurring turns on the shows Homeland and Mad Men, plus starring opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the HBO series Divorce from 2016-19. 

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