Barbra Streisand's 2 Husbands: Meet James Brolin and Elliott Gould

Barbra Streisand is known to the world as one of Hollywood’s most iconic singers and actresses, but did you know the beloved filmmaker was married twice throughout her career? While it’s obvious she’s been living a life of wedded bliss with longtime spouse James Brolin, Barbra also previously tied the knot with ex Elliott Gould.

The “Woman in Love” songstress crossed paths with her first husband in 1962 when she was auditioning for a role on I Can Get It for You Wholesale. After starring together in the Broadway musical, Barbra and Elliot hit it off and became a couple.

While living together in a small apartment over a seafood restaurant in New York City, the Funny Girl star and the M*A*S*H actor made their love official when they got married in 1963. The former pair became the proud parents of their only son, Jason Gould, just three years later in 1996. However, Barbra and the Long Goodbye actor called it quits by 1971.

Following her divorce from Elliott, the A Star is Born actress found love again with James in the mid-1960s. At the time, Barbra met the Life in Pieces actor “at a dinner” party. “[I] expected a bearded mountain-man type, and he had cut off all his hair and was clean-shaven,” she recalled to W magazine in 2016. “I asked him, ‘Who screwed up your hair?’ … He later told me that’s when he fell in love with me.”

barbra-streisands-2-husbands-meet-james-brolin-and-elliott-gould — Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Barbra and James’ whirlwind romance quickly took off and the two were married by July 1998. Although they never welcomed any children together, the Prince of Tides actress effortlessly filled in as the stepmom of her hubby’s three kids, Josh Brolin, Jess Brolin and Molly Brolin, from previous relationships.

While it’s been over 30 years since Barbra and James walked down the aisle, the longtime lovebirds are still as infatuated with each other as the day they said “I do.” In fact, the Amityville Horror actor revealed how their relationship continues to be so successful after more than two decades together.

“We are the best of friends,” he gushed to Bella magazine in January 2019. “A new marriage is a love affair, and then it becomes a friendship and a lot of people don’t realize how great that is. They question where their love affair went.”

Barbra is one lucky lady!

Scroll through the gallery below to meet the actress’ current husband James and ex Elliot.

Elliot Gould, 81

Around the time he met Barbra, Elliott was famous in his own right as a Hollywood actor. Aside from his role with his ex-wife on I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Elliott acted in tons of old hits including M*A*S*H, The Silent Partner, Getting Straight and much more. Elliott kept up his iconic career as he’s also starred in 2017’s Humor Me and Contagion in 2011, as well as his latest project, Dangerous Lies, which was released on Netflix in April 2020.

Following his divorce from Barbra in 1971, the Ocean’s Eleven actor tied the knot with Jennifer Bogart in 1973. The former couple welcomed kids Samuel Gould and Molly Gould before going their separate ways in 1975. However, their love story wasn’t over as Elliott and the actress reunited in 1978. The ex-pair walked down the aisle once again before calling it quits for the second and final time just a year later in 1979.

Although it’s been decades since Elliott and Barbra called it quits, his ex-lover is “a very significant part of [his] life,” the Hollywood alum revealed to Closer Weekly in 2017. “No less significant than the rest of my family — Jason is the light of our lives. Barbra adores him. So we have contact.”

Despite the fact that Barbra is “happily married to James Brolin,” Elliott said he still considers the actress his family. “I’ve said to her: ‘I know you’re married to someone else now and I only wish you well, but this is a small family unit and you’re a part of it, so I’ll always be there.'”

James Brolin, 79

Like his wife, James has had quite the epic run in Hollywood. On top of his gigs in Westworld, Life in Pieces, Hotel, Capricorn One and a ton others, he’s also received two Golden Globes and an Emmy Award. In 1998, James was also awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to commemorate his impressive work.

Before Barbra fell in love with James, the Marcus Welby, M.D. actor was previously married. In 1966, he walked down the aisle with first wife Jane Cameron Agee. The couple welcomed son Josh in 1968, followed by son Jess in 1972, and raised their brood together before calling it quits in 1984.

James moved on from his first marriage when he met second wife Jan Smithers just two years later. The pair married in 1986 and expanded the actor’s family when daughter Molly arrived in 1987. Unfortunately, James and Jan ended their relationship in 1995. However, it was the following year that he would meet and fall in love with the Way We Were actress.

Ahead of the couple’s milestone 20th wedding anniversary in July 2020, James exclusively dished the secret to their loving bond. “I’m easygoing, but I’m very opinionated. And she likes to control everything,” he told Closer at the time. “I’m laconic and never get anything done. But she’ll zero in on one thing after the other, so that’s what makes ours a great marriage.”