Barbra Streisand and James Brolin belong to a notably rare subset of public figures who have successfully withstood the well-documented challenges often associated with long-term relationships in the entertainment industry.
Now, Mr. Brolin—an accomplished actor and the longtime spouse of Ms. Streisand—has elected to disclose certain personal insights which, he asserts, have contributed meaningfully to the durability of their marriage.
The couple, now aged 82 and 84 respectively, entered into matrimony in 1998 following a courtship that began with a blind date arranged two years prior.
During a recent appearance on The Today Show, actor James Brolin, best known for his role in Westworld, attributed the enduring strength of his nearly three-decade-long marriage to Barbra Streisand to a somewhat unconventional yet essential element of their domestic life—a high-quality mattress.
“The best investment we’ve ever made is our mattress,” Brolin disclosed on Tuesday, as reported by PEOPLE. “And don’t misunderstand me. We’re both lazy. We love to sleep late. We do a lot of our work on the phone, on paper, reading, right next to each other.”
He further elaborated that regular walks together have also served as a grounding and bonding ritual in their relationship. “You learn to take a walk. Both of us, not just me! I just think you gotta say, ‘Okay, take a deep breath, take a walk,'” he stated during the broadcast. He analogized this behavior to instinctive animal conduct, saying, “Because animals do the same thing, you know? Humans do it to each other, animals do it to each other.”
This is not the first occasion on which Mr. Brolin has publicly addressed the factors contributing to the longevity of his marriage. In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, he emphasized that “patience” is a fundamental component of any enduring union. “I think everybody needs to be a negotiator. Everybody needs to have patience and know when to take a walk,” he shared at the time.
Mr. Brolin and Ms. Streisand were first introduced in July 1996, having been paired by mutual acquaintances at a dinner party arranged as a blind date. Ms. Streisand later recalled the details of their initial meeting during a 2016 interview with W Magazine.#newsafro_
