Clooney: A true friend to the piggish NEW YORK  Max has gone to hog heaven. The nearly 300-pound potbellied pig who shared George Clooney's Hollywood Hills home, and sometimes his bed, died Friday while his owner was out of town promoting his latest film, The Good German, due Dec. 15. CLOONEY & DEVITO: Drinking buddies make news "He just died, like an hour ago," says the actor, who gained custody of the porker about 18 years ago, after breaking up with live-in girlfriend Kelly Preston (now Mrs. John Travolta). "He was as old a pig as the vets had ever seen. I was really surprised, because he's been a big part of my life." The source of what the dedicated bachelor often declared as his longest-running relationship, Max frequently made cameos in interviews, mostly because visitors had to step over the huge animal before entering Clooney's house. "Max, the star," Clooney says, a bit wistfully. The pig was famous enough to make headlines after being declared prematurely dead in January 2005. The actor issued a denial. A grunting alarm clock with a massive appetite who would squeal every morning until he was fed, Max had arthritis and was partly blind. He was seriously injured in 2001 when one of Clooney's friends ran him over while he trotted outside in the dark. His love of his master apparently was enough to keep him ticking. Until now. "It has been a bad year for my pets," Clooney says. "I had a bulldog that died this year, too. It's strange how animals become a big part of your family. They really become a big issue with you." Will he get another pig? "No," he says. "I think Max covered all my pig needs." Enlarge Getty Images Clooney on Max: "He's been a big part of my life."