In an essay for USA Today, Hollywood actor George Clooney has fiercely hit back at Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper for publishing “irresponsible” rumours about his forthcoming marriage to lawyer Amal Alamuddin.

“I seldom respond to tabloids,” Clooney wrote, before proceeding to criticise the Daily Mail for suggesting that his fiancee’s mother opposed the union for “religious reasons”.

“The Daily Mail has printed a completely fabricated story…it says Amal’s mother has been telling ‘half of Beirut’ that she’s against the wedding. It says they joke about traditions in the Druze religion that end up with the death of the bride,” Clooney shared.

“Let me repeat that: the death of the bride.”

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The Daily Mail has responded to the actor’s scathing open letter, which branded their journalism “at the very least negligent and more appropriately dangerous”.

“The story was not a fabrication but supplied in good faith by a reputable and trusted freelance journalist,” a correction on the paper’s online site reads.

“She based her story on conversations with a long standing contact who has strong connections with senior members of the Lebanese community in the UK and the Druze in Beirut.

“However, we accept Mr Clooney’s assurance that the story is inaccurate and we apologise to him, Miss Amal Alamuddin and her mother, Baria, for any distress caused.”

In his essay, Clooney – who describes himself as “the son of a newsman” – recognises the occasional “inconvenience” of freedom of speech, but says the “false” article crosses “far beyond just a laughable tabloid and into the arena of inciting violence.”

Clooney and Alamuddin got engaged in April after dating for less than a year.