When you think of Hollywood couples , longevity isn’t typically an adjective that springs to mind. What with busy travel schedules, constant media pressure, and fan scrutiny — it’s no wonder why many celebrity romances wind up in shambles.
There are, however, very few exceptions that prove the rule — such as Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin . Not only have these two defied the odds and expectations, but they’ve also gone on to cement themselves as one of the entertainment world’s longest marriages and have become true Hollywood power couple goals .
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Barbra Streisand is one of the most talented female performers to ever live.
In terms of measurable accolades, Barbra has literally done it all. She’s what’s known in the industry as an EGOT , meaning she’s won an Emmy, Golden Globe, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.
But for all her success, Barbra remained unlucky in love for many years.
Her first marriage to actor Elliot Gould came crashing down in 1969 after having been married for less than seven years. From 1973 until the early ’90s, Barbra had a string of high-profile flings.
By the time Barbra entered into her mid-50s, she’d all but given up on finding her happily ever after.
But as many happy couples will gladly attest, love tends to find you when you aren’t looking for it. And in 1996, Barbra went on her first blind date with actor James Brolin.
The couple’s first encounter took place at a mutual friend’s dinner party.
“I remember saying, ‘I work every night till midnight with my editors.’ This to me was such an intrusion , going to a dinner party. I never do that,” Barbra told the Los Angeles Times .
Barbra was working so late because she was in the midst of directing ‘The Mirror Has Two Faces’.
Ironically enough, The Mirror Has Two Faces is a hopeful romantic comedy about how two people can find true love later in life .
She was so confident that things wouldn’t work out that she kept her editors working.
“I even told my editors to wait for me ,” Barbra recalled. “I’ll come back, I’ll go have dinner at 7 and come back and we’ll start working again at 10.”
“And then, when I met him, it was just . . . we were just totally interested in one another,” Streisand swooned.
“And at a certain point in the evening, I had to call them. He said to me, ‘ I’m taking you home with me . Tell ‘em to go home.’”
Two years later, James and Barbra were wed at her $100 million mansion in Malibu.
The newlywed couple retreated from the media and public spaces in order to foster the love they each held so dear. As Barbra told McCall’s magazine, ” We love to do a lot of nothing .”
Their love for doing nothing certainly served them well during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For a lot of people, their marriages haven’t been going well for these 15 months,” Brolin explained to People . “We’ve literally fallen in love during this period of time , just being together every day and making it work.”
On July 1st, 2022, Barbra and James celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary.
When James was asked to reveal the secret to a long-lasting marriage, he credited a willingness to learn from the past, and a determination to not lose sight of his and Barbra’s own independence.
That, and continuing to pursue your passions is what’s helped James and Barbra become the gold standard for Hollywood relationships.
Recently, James completed work on the Pixar prequel film, Lightyear , and is set to reprise his narrative role in Season 2 of Sweet Tooth . Whereas Barbra recently announced that she’ll be going on tour to promote her latest album.
