With friends like Matt Damon and Brad Pitt now settled with children, George Clooney as Star reported earlier is pondering the previously unfathomable “F” word- FAMILY! Since meeting Ellen Barkin, 51, on the Las Vegas set of Ocean’s Thirteen, the dapper Oscar winner and the sexy blonde have gotten super cozy, “going out together” after hours, says a source.

On Aug. 6 after attending the hit Cirque du Soleil show, Love, George and Ellen were spotted holding hands and walked towards his hotel room. A couple days later, the couple dined with producer Jerry Weintraub at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, but had eyes only for each other; a source on the set tells Star. A pal of Clooney’s tells Star, “He is really smitten with Ellen. He thinks she is incredibly sexy.” George’s rep denies the story.

In other news, George Clooney was terrified he had caught malaria during a visit to Darfur. The ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ actor - who has visited the war-torn region several times - thought he had contracted the deadly disease during his latest trip to the African country last month. The 45-year-old actor was reportedly complaining of weight loss and exhaustion, which are common symptoms of the disease. A source told the New York Post newspaper: “George was very thin and exhausted for a time. “But he is the consummate professional and never complained.” However, Clooney was relieved when it turned out he was simply suffering from food poisoning. His publicist said: “George does not have malaria, but he felt like he had the effects of it at one point. It was food poisoning from the flight back from Darfur.”