Barbra Streisand has lived in the public eye for most of her life.
To the world she’s the American singer, songwriter, actress and producer who was the first performer to ever achieve an EGOT — winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony for her incredible music and acting career.
But behind-the-scenes, Barbra loves nothing more than spending time with her husband of 27 years, her kids and step-kids, and her beloved grandchildren.
At 83, she’s releasing her first album in seven years, The Secret Live of Partners: Volume 2, which is all about celebrating the role of family in her life.
“It’s wonderful to have family,” she told PEOPLE. “And that’s how The Secret of Life title came — [the secret] is several things, but one of them is family,”
Here’s everything we know about Barbra Streisand’s family life.
BARBRA STREISAND’S RELATIONSHIP WITH SECOND HUSBAND JAMES BROLIN
Barbra and now 84-year-old James Brolin first met in 1996 when they were set up on a blind date at a dinner party, when James was 56 and Barbra was 54.
“We were set up as a blind date, and I was so shy that I came into the house and I went downstairs to be with the children and play with them until I had to sit down at the table,” Barbra said in a 2021 appearance on The Tonight Show.
In the same appearance, Barbra told Jimmy Fallon that she actually made fun of James’ hair during that first meeting.
“I expected a guy with a brown beard and brown, wavy hair, like a mountain man,” she said. “And I saw a guy that had all his hair cut off, no beard. And I walked by him. I put my hand through his hair and said, ‘Who f—ed up your hair?'”
After the dinner, James drove Barbra home and they talked until 3am and then stood in the foyer of her building, trying to decide whether they should kiss or shake hands.
The singer said James knew straight away that she was the one but it took her “a few days” to fall for him.
Three months after that first meeting, James travelled to London to direct the political thriller My Brother’s War, but the two kept in touch.
“I remember falling asleep on the bathroom floor with the phone pressed against my ear,” Barbra told PEOPLE in 1998.
Two years later, they tied the knot in the backyard of Barbra’s Malibu home, with a wedding guest list which featured some of Hollywood’s biggest stars including John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
“I can’t tell you how lucky I am that this would happen to me so late in life,” James in his wedding speech. “Every night is a new adventure. Sleeping is a waste of time. I can’t wait to see her again in the morning.”
In a 2021 interview with The Talk, James said COVID lockdowns actually strengthened their relationship.
“I like women who say their peace, and I’m a calming factor, and she gets me up and doing things I wouldn’t normally accomplish. It’s like a perfect situation, the two of us,” he said.
“We, for a long time, were put out by COVID. And a lot of people, their marriages haven’t gone well during these 15 months,” he continued. “We’ve literally fallen in love over this period of time, just being stuck together every day and making it work.”
Meanwhile, Barbra told Variety that same year that the secret to their long marriage was “listening”.
“The secret is to listen carefully,” she explained. “I think to be a good actor, you have to listen. To be a good person, you have to listen. To be a good marriage partner, you have to listen. Hear the other person. Agree to disagree.”
BARBRA STREISAND & JAMES BROLIN’S KIDS AND GRANDKIDS
Barbra shares one son with her first husband, Elliot Gould, and three step-kids with her second husband, James Brolin.
Barbra’s son Jason Gould, 58, began his career in acting, appearing alongside his famous parents in several projects and landing roles in the theatre in the late 1990s.
He has since pivoted to music and has sung duets with his mother in the past.
Josh Brolin is James’ eldest son from his first marriage to the late Jane Agee. Just like his father and step-mother, the 57-year-old is an actor who has appeared in a range of film and TV series including The Goonies, Milk and Deadpool 2.
He has been married three times, tying the knot in 1988 to actress Alice Adair, with whom he shares two children, Trevor and Eden. He was then married to actress Diane Lane for nine years, before marrying model Kathryn Boyd, with whom he shares daughters Westlyn and Chapel.
Josh’s younger brother Jess lives life out of the spotlight and has reportedly lived in temporary housing after falling on hard times.
The family released a statement in 2011 after photos of Jess rummaging through garbage went viral.
“We have offered help and support, and continue to do so. We love him very much and want only the best for him,” the statement read.
Molly Brolin is James’ youngest child, who he shares with his second wife, actress Jan Smithers. Like her half-brother Jess she keeps a low profile and works behind the scenes as a producer.
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