George Clooney’s Reaction to Brangelina’s Divorce Is All of Us

Where were you yesterday when you heard the news of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie‘s divorce? If you’re like most of us, you were at work, minding your own business, when the news rang in. And you probably reacted with shock. Or horror. Or outrage. Or worry. You probably felt sad. You might have thought about your own relationship, or reflected on what this means for marriages around the world.

As for George Clooney, Pitt’s longtime pal, he was at the United Nations Global Summit when he found out. From CNN. And from his stricken look, we can tell he felt just like the rest of us—except even more so, since he actually knows them personally.

MORE: A Complete Timeline of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Relationship

“I didn’t know that, wow,” Clooney said, when he heard the news from a CNN reporter. “I feel very sorry then. That’s a sad story and unfortunate for a family.” Struggling to find the right words, he added, more tenderly, “That’s an unfortunate story about a family.” Then, recovering a bit, he said, “I feel very sorry to hear that. That’s the first I’ve heard of it, so.” And then the interview concluded.

Clooney had spent his day thus far at a U.N. roundtable with his wife, Amal Clooney, hosted by President Barack Obama, discussing the Syrian refugee crisis, so he had better things to do than scan Twitter for updates on his famous friends’ marriages.

MORE: Angelina Jolie Files for Divorce from Brad Pitt