‘My Name Is Barbra’ Bombshells

Barbra Streisand didn’t maintain again whereas writing her long-awaited memoir My Name Is Barbra.

“For forty years, publishers have been asking me to write an autobiography. But I kept turning them down, because I prefer to live in the present rather than dwell on the past,” Streisand wrote within the prologue. “And the fact is, I’m scared that after six decades of people making up stories about me, I’m going to tell the truth, and nobody is going to believe it.”

In the guide, which was launched on Tuesday, November 7, Streisand opened up about her mother, Diana Streisand, not being supportive as she sought out a profession in Hollywood to her success in Funny Girl. In addition to her rise to fame, the EGOT winner acquired candid about her tumultuous relationship with ex-husband Elliot Gould and extra.

My Name Is Barbra is out there now. Keep scrolling to learn Barbra’s largest revelations:

Dealing With Comments About Her Looks

As Barbra rose to fame, the actress was subjected to criticism about her look. She famous that it felt like her nostril “got more press” than she did. The singer claimed that she was informed by a number of unnamed folks that she ought to “get a nose job.” Barbra recalled being in comparison with a “Babylonian queen” and “basset hound” at factors in her profession — which finally took a toll on her.

“I wish I could say none of this affected me, but it did,” she penned. “Even after all these years, I’m still hurt by the insults and can’t quite believe the praise.”

Her Mom’s Discouragement on Pursuing Acting

While Barbra knew she was gifted, she revealed that her mother warned her that she may not discover success since she “didn’t look like those other girls in the movies.”

“She was so against me being an actress that it made me feel weird to know she was in the audience watching me,” Barbra confessed. “I dreaded what she might say. And sure enough, she didn’t disappoint me. ‘Mom, what did you think?’ She frowned and said, ‘Your arms are too skinny.’”

During Barbra’s first efficiency as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, she revealed that her mother wasn’t there for her opening night time efficiency.

“I grew up without her approval, with no support for my dreams,” she wrote. “I don’t remember her ever giving me a compliment.”

She Never Dated Barry Dennen

Despite Dennen claiming he and Barbra had a relationship within the ‘60s, the actress claimed that the pair have been solely buddies. The duo linked earlier in her profession and he or she revealed that Dennen was “one of the first men” who would “pay attention” to her. When he wrote his 1997 guide, My Life With Barbra: A Love Story, Barbra confessed she was “so hurt” that he “made up this crazy love affair.”

Compromising on Her Name Change

Barbra — whose actual identify is spelled Barbara — revealed that when she was beginning out within the business casting brokers urged that she change her identify.

“They wanted something simpler … Barbara Strand or Sands … but that felt phony,” she recalled. “Plus, how would my old friends know it was me, once I became famous?”

Instead, Barbra determined to stay true to herself and easily simply change the spelling of her first identify so she may very well be “different and unique.”

Her Relationship With Elliot Gould

Barbra confided that she wasn’t drawn to Gould once they first met, admitting that her reference to the actor modified and he “became more than a friend” over time. As their relationship progressed, the duo wore rings as an emblem of their romance. Despite not having a authorized ceremony, Elliot referred to the couple as being “spiritually married.”

“I loved Elliott. He was familiar to me … from Brooklyn, down-to-earth. But I still wasn’t sure I was ready for marriage,” she wrote. “After all, I was only twenty-one, and he was my first serious boyfriend. I didn’t want this marriage thing to become a big deal.”

However, Barbra ended up altering her thoughts sooner or later and urged they wed. The pair took off to Las Vegas for his or her nuptials. Three years later, Barbra discovered she was pregnant along with her and Gould’s son Jason.

“The news was a shock. Elliott and I had lived together since I was nineteen, and now I was about to turn twenty-four,” she shared. “For years I had honestly thought there was something wrong with me, because I had never gotten pregnant. Having a baby seemed like something for other women, not for me.”

Gould and Barbra’s relationship started to shift as they started to focus extra on their careers, spending much less time collectively.

“And the truth is, I don’t think either of us was too upset about the separation. Something had changed between us,” she mirrored, including that she “didn’t miss him as much” as she ought to have after he relocated to New York.

Barbra and Gould cut up in 1971 proper earlier than the Oscars however the twosome nonetheless attended the occasion collectively. The actress famous she wasn’t “ready for marriage in 1963” however was “very ready for a legal separation.”

Landing Funny Girl

Barba came upon that Anne Bancroft was supposed to guide the musical however needed “no part” of the present after she realized she couldn’t sing the songs. Carol Burnett was allegedly additionally within the function however turned it down because it was meant for “a Jewish girl.’”

After being forged, Barbra mentioned she needed to study extra about who her character, Fanny Brice, was so as to higher painting her on stage.

“Once I read Fanny’s own words, I realized that she and I were so alike it was almost scary,” she penned.

Her Fling with Sydney Chaplin

During Funny Girl, Barbra claimed she had an affair with costar Sydney Chaplin, son of Charlie Chaplin. She finally got here clear to Gould and known as off her relationship with Sydney. However, Barbra alleged that after their breakup, Sydney cursed her out and have become insufferable to work with.

“It was becoming a nightmare. Now, every night at seven-thirty as I prepared to go on, I felt sick to my stomach,” she wrote. “It wasn’t only the pressure of having to live up to the audience’s expectations. Now I also had to deal with a new enemy … my costar.”

Barbra shared that she contemplated quitting the present as she began to have “panic attacks” however finally powered by way of.

“I knew in my heart that I would never be back on a Broadway stage again,” she mentioned of her closing efficiency, whereas noting that the expertise with Sydney “had been so traumatizing.”

Balancing Work and Motherhood

While on the set of A Star Is Born, her son visited her throughout filming. While there, Jason allegedly informed Barbra that Gould mentioned she was “working too many long hours” and never seeing her baby sufficient.

“Woah! That was a stab in my heart. And my guilt, always lurking, kicked right in,” she confessed. “I was angry at Elliott for criticizing me in front of our son, rather than supporting me.”

Her Bond With King Charles III

Barbra shared that she was invited to stick with the monarch at his Highgrove house in 1995, and famous that he was a “gracious host.” The actress additionally alleged she that Charles revealed he had a poster of her in his room at Cambridge. According to Barbra, the twosome are nonetheless shut and have exchanged birthday presents.

Falling in Love With James Brolin

While beforehand unfortunate in love, issues modified for Barbra after her good friend Christine Peters set her up with James Brolin in 1996. When the pair first met at a cocktail party, she critiqued his hair and he immediately fell in love along with her.

“It was unusual for me to get this close to someone so quickly. But Jim wasn’t intimidated by me,” she confessed. “In fact, he was very supportive and said, I want to empower you.”

While Brolin knew immediately he needed to tie the knot with Barbra, she wanted extra time The couple finally wed in July 1998 on the identical day they initially met.