George Clooney's Latest Split: What Happened?

June 23, 2011 — -- What broke up George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis? Likely, his unwillingness to walk down the aisle one more time.

After his four year long marriage to Talia Balsam, the Oscar-winning actor famously told ABC News' Barbara Walters in 1995 that he'll never marry again. He reiterated that sentiment in January of this year, telling CNN's Piers Morgan "I was married, so I gave it a shot."

Yet, prior to their breakup, his 32-year-old Italian actress/model girlfriend seemed hopeful for wedding bells.

"I am a firm believer in marriage," she told the Italian magazine Chi. "In the future I will be married. But for the time being I am as happy as I am, I don't need anything to confirm how happy I am."

Making her wish for marriage public may have doomed their relationship with the 50-year-old actor.

"She's potentially more interested in building a family, settling down, while he loves traveling, he loves freedom, he loves his luxurious life," said UsMagazine.com senior editor Justin Ravitz. "George is a serial dater. There's a big age difference between them. While their breakup is somewhat sudden, it's not all that shocking."

Women seem to have taken a backburner to Clooney's acting and philanthropic ambitions. Though he's been romantically linked with A-list actresses like Renee Zellweger, for the most part, since his 1992 divorce, he's favored low-profile model types.

Clooney dated British model Lisa Snowdon, cocktail waitress/reality TV personality Sarah Larson (who was the first woman he brought to the Oscars), and most recently, Canalis.

While his love life may be floundering, Clooney's career is hotter than ever. His latest film,"The Ides of March," which he wrote, directed and stars in, will be the opening movie at August's 2011 Venice film festival.

He's also shooting another movie, "Gravity," in London. He stars in the film with Sandra Bullock, who went through her own high-profile breakup and divorce last year. Though he's steered away from dating his colleagues, with Hollywood's perpetual bachelor, anything could happen.

"Last I checked, Sandra was single," Ravitz said.