Barbra Streisand might be one of the richest women in showbiz, but like everyone, she has drama in her family.
At the moment, her stepson, Jess Brolin, is causing her the most worry. It’s been revealed he is living in a cramped motel and barely making ends meet.
Shocking new photos of Jess, 52, last week showed him waiting for a bus near the highway motel in Ojai, California, It is just a short drive from brother Josh’s six-bedroom, $10.5 million farmhouse in the star-studded neighbourhood of Montecito.
Meanwhile, Jess’ actor father James Brolin and his longtime stepmother Barbra reside in a lavish clifftop mansion in picturesque Malibu, and have a staggering combined fortune of $669 million.
YEARS OF STRUGGLE
One source reveals that Jess has been staying at the Topa Vista Inn for the last few months, and “will be there for a few months more.”
Yet an insider tells Woman’s Day that it’s not a case of Barbra, 82, and James, 84, not sharing their wealth with his youngest son, but Jess not wanting to accept it.
“Barbra and James are in a real bind because you can’t force help on someone, and Jess won’t accept money from them so they have to help him in such a way that’s comfortable for him,” says the source.
“Jess is not without the support of his family – he just likes to do things his way and can be stubborn about it.”
It’s believed that Jess first hit troubled times back in 2011 when a trust fund left behind by his late mother, James’ first wife Jane Agee, ran dry. He began living out of his old Toyota truck. Just three years later, concerning pictures of Jess rummaging through a rubbish bin emerged.
At the time, a rep for his stepmother Barbra added that the family had tried to help, but were rejected by Jess.
“We have offered help and support, and continue to do so. We love him very much and want only the best for him,” they said.
And in 2021, James gave an update on Jess, saying he was “probably the happiest of us all”. He added, “I know he’s been photographed collecting bottles and cans out of the trash, but all the money went to charity.”
WHERE IT WENT WRONG
The Brolin/Streisand family haven’t always been so divided. Jess publicly supported his actor father when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.
And there was a time when it looked like Jess might follow Josh and James into the family business of Hollywood, with the youngest son working behind the scenes on the 2001 TV show Black Scorpion. But Jess hasn’t worked on any productions since then.
Meanwhile Josh’s acting career has gone from strength to strength.
Sadly, it seems losing his mother Jane in a car crash in 1995 was the start of a difficult path ahead for Jess.
“Jess was never the same after his mother died,” an insider tells Woman’s Day. “It was incredibly hard on him.”
And there’s a sentimental reason why Jess remains living near the mountains in Ojai, away from his family – it’s where he feels closest to his animal-loving mother.
“Jess’ mum was obsessed with helping wildlife animals, and Ojai reminds him of the ranch in Paso Robles that he grew up on,” the source explains. “Josh always says how much Jess is like their mum, who always preferred the company of animals to people.”
While it’s not clear how regularly the brothers are in touch, it’s been more than four years since Josh, 56, last posted a picture with Jess on Instagram. He wrote for International Sibling Day, “Even though you hit me over the head with that huge tree branch, I still love you.”
And of all the family members, the source says Josh has the best chance to convince Jess to start living a better life. “The first thing the family did was make sure Jess is safe, but Josh is probably the only one who can convince Jess to relocate,” the source adds.
