Max (pig)

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Max (1987—December 1, 2006) was the Vietnamese black bristled potbellied pig pet of George Clooney, often referred to as "Max the star" by Clooney.^[1] Max shared Clooney's Hollywood Hills home, also his bed, and frequently made cameos in interviews, mostly because of its enormous size.^[2] Max is often credited with saving Clooney's life by waking him up before an earthquake in Los Angeles on January 16, 1994.^[1] In 2006 the pig was taken for a flight in John Travolta's private jet.^[3]

Max was bought by Clooney in 1988 as a gift for his former girlfriend Kelly Preston.^[4] Max used to have a special cattle-pen and its own corner in the garage of Clooney's manor.^[5] The hog was seriously injured in 2001 when one of Clooney's friends accidentally ran it over with his car.^[6] Weighing ca. 300 pound (over 130 kg), Max died in Los Angeles of natural causes, as has been stated by Clooney's press secretary Stan Rosenfield. Initially, Max, who had arthritis and was partly blind, was falsely reported to have died in January 2005. Max had a massive appetite and would squeal every morning until he was fed.^[3]

A column on Max by Clooney's father, Nick, appeared in Cincinnati Inquirer.

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